“Frugality creates margin which enables generosity…When we are frugal–not stingy but wise–we can then free up more resources in order to be generous.”
James Bryan Smith in The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love (Downers Grove: IVP, 2010) 165.
It’s Black Friday! Today we are bombarded with messages to buy things we don’t need. We must avoid those temptations. There are also great deals on items we do want to purchase, like socks, shirts and sweatpants. Go buy those items. For those choosing to live simply, this is a great time to save. Rather than looking at all the ads with an open mind and being tempted to buy needless stuff, let’s make a list of things we plan to buy anyway and save money on those items. Such frugality “creates margin” as Smith puts it, to be generous to those we love and to the things God loves.