Materialism. Those gorgeous dresses I had to buy (such a good deal!) but have no place to wear?
Aceticism. My holey-soled shoes and soggy feet because I just can't bring myself to pay full price for a new pair?
Pharisaism. That $9 Nordstrom's jacket?
I think pharisaism is what my friend Jessica understood. She's 5'2" and barely a size 0; finding great fashion bargains is not usually an option. And the attitudes of her Proverbs 31-quoting, ebay-shopping Christian sisters had left her feeling unfairly judged.
Some women, because of time constraints or professional expectations or body type or location, or whatever are unable to score the deals that thrill the rest of us. Do I really expect the Obamas to scour their local Salvation Army thrift store for their inaugural duds?
Plus, I have to acknowledge that my own thriftiness is often inconsistent. I'd never pay full price for a pair of shoes, but I can be a reckless grocery-shopper, throwing expensive items into my cart when I'm short on time.
Part of the seduction of the bargain is the fact that it's so quantifiable. For example, when I shop at Kohl's, my cashier always circles the number on the receipt that shows, not my total bill, but my total discount. My mother-in-law and I have been known to call each other from the parking lot: "Guess how much money I just saved?"
Pride loves anything it can put a number on.
But ultimately it's not money itself, in any quantity, which is the problem. It is, as 1 Timothy 6:10 says, "the love of money." This temptation can be found among rich and poor, extravagant and thrifty.
The teaching of the Bible about money is less about the amount and more about the heart. Certain principles are given in Scripture: to provide for our own needs and the needs of our family (1 Tim. 5:8, 2 Thess. 3:10), to pay taxes (Matt. 22:21), and to support the work of the church (2 Cor. 9:7). Additionally, God commands generosity toward the needy (Romans 12:13). How we accomplish these ends, and what we do with the rest of our money, is largely a matter of wisdom. A hundred Christians will have a hundred different ways to save and spend.
The much-admired Proverbs 31 woman "perceives that her merchandise is profitable," but she also dresses in "fine linen and purple." She might have been a frugalista, but, then again, maybe not.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Comments
Steph MacDonald
Ha, and I was just thinking the other day how stupid it is that I shop for good bargains to dress more nicely than I can afford, and when people tell me they like my [insert clothing item here] I fall all over myself to tell them how little I paid for it! I don't want to look like one of those people who spends a lot on clothes, you know--bad stewardship! Fear of man.
Cheryl Okimoto
Megan, I think you did a good job showing how we need to guard our hearts. WHAT we do isn't as important as WHY we do it? What do our reasons reveal about our hearts? Hannah, you bring up a good point too. How many of our bargains are at the expense of someone else? You don't even have to think half a world away. I was told by Christian financial guru that buying a repossessed car was a great way to steward money. I cringed when I heard that because I once had a vehicle repossessed, and ended up getting a bill for it that was almost as much as I still owed. Why? Because someone got a great deal at an auction, and the bank encouraged them to buy low. A "great deal" is often at someone else's expense. Rachel, I don't necessarily hate shopping, but it's not high on my list either. I can't say I still wear clothes from college as that was quite a few years ago, but my definition of fashion includes anything still mendable so that it looks decent!
JANET W
Sometimes I think some Christians are looking a little too hard to find sin. Spend too much, you're sinning. Spend too little, and you're sinning too. Happy about your purchase? -- Sin! Sad about your purchase? -- Sin, again! We are called to be Joyous and Content in all things (including our trials & sorrows). Pride is a sin, but let's step back and make sure what we're calling "pride" actually is pride. If you're judging others and giving yourself a pat on the back for being a better christian because you paid less for your outfit, yeah - maybe it is pride. If you're just pleased with yourself that you got a good deal and feel fortunate that you had an opportunity to save some cash -- just not seeing "pride" in that.
bennett willis
You can be proud of anything. Including humility. Along with tacky comments about postings. Lighten up. Being pleased about how you do life is good. And it sure beats being unpleased with it.
Rachel Stephan Simko
Am I the only girl in the world (Christian or not) who hates shopping? I have worn the same clothes since college -- not b/c I'm frugal, but because I hate spending money and going shopping. Am I alone in this? evenonesparrow.blogspot.com
Karen Smith
Hmm. I always considered that "amount saved" shown on the receipt to be more of a "Here's the amount we claim to charge so we can make you feel good". Kind of like the "Buy a box, get a free toy!" thing - the price of the toy isn't "free", it's concealed in the price of the box. As for finding bargains, I hate trying to do that. I'm a size "huge" - over 6' tall - and I'm not thin (though given my body size it's hard to tell how much I weigh) - so finding bargains is extremely difficult. I'm far more worried about whether something fits comfortably than how much it costs, as long as I look decently professional in it. Fortunately, my field includes "Jeans and Sweaters" in decently professional...
Hannah N.
I appreciate this thoughtful article! You can add a whole additional layer of contemplation if you consider what global sins our clothing purchases may enmesh us in. How do we know our clothes were not made by enslaved workers? There is so much trust involved in that relationship with the retailer. Unless, I guess, you buy secondhand. This is something I struggle with as well.
*