Morality of buying expensive things

Started by TandJ, February 27, 2021, 02:48:18 PM

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TandJ

We've been trying to place applications for months at our shelter but never succeeded because the small dogs are in such high demand. The last dog we applied for we were told we were number 175 on the list. We went ahead and purchased a dog last night. A Maltese shihtsu mix puppy. All in was a couple thousand dollars (Including the flight to get here) which I hated to pay for but we don't have any real debt besides our mortgage and we could pay using our tax return money. I figured it will live around 10 years so the yearly price isn't that much considering we can train it to be nice and healthy. I don't feel I did anything mortally sinful but perhaps I should ask my priest (I have a feeling he will say not sinful since every worry I go to him with is not sinful).

TandJ

Quote from: MaximGun on February 28, 2021, 01:21:22 AM
Fatima children said avoid luxury.


Yes but is luxury every once in a while a sin?? A mortal sin? There's just not other option for us around here except pits and chihuahuas and mixes as the smaller friendly pups are snatched up as soon as they enter the shelter. Is there something in moral theology about this?

james03

1.  Donate 10% of your pay to the Church and charitable organizations.

2.  Provide for your family.

You take care of that, wipe your butt with $100's if you want.

Note giving more than 10% is virtuous, but not giving more than 10% is not sinful.  Remember there's a time to feast and a time to fast.  Find a good balance.  I'd say you also have to be on guard against materialism.  If you want to drop thousands on a dog to impress the neighbors, that would be wrong.  If you have to drop some money on a dog in order to find one that meets your requirements, that's fine, as long as 1 and 2 above are satisfied. 
"But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn 3:18)."

"All sorrow leads to the foot of the Cross.  Weep for your sins."

"Although He should kill me, I will trust in Him"

TandJ

Quote from: james03 on February 28, 2021, 03:07:23 PM
1.  Donate 10% of your pay to the Church and charitable organizations.

2.  Provide for your family.

You take care of that, wipe your butt with $100's if you want.

Note giving more than 10% is virtuous, but not giving more than 10% is not sinful.  Remember there's a time to feast and a time to fast.  Find a good balance.  I'd say you also have to be on guard against materialism.  If you want to drop thousands on a dog to impress the neighbors, that would be wrong.  If you have to drop some money on a dog in order to find one that meets your requirements, that's fine, as long as 1 and 2 above are satisfied.


That's what I figured but I scrupe out sometimes about things :) we don't have credit card debt and only carry a mortgage. We donate generously to convents and missions and sponsor three children from other countries. This is a luxury yes but my kids are lonely and I am scared of getting a mean dog that will scar them for life, which is also why we are attracted to smaller dogs. St. Thomas More collected a lot of rare and unique animals for his children's amusement. They probably cost a pretty penny too

Heinrich

Happy for you. Little dogs live longer on average. Going to be fun!  :toth:

Para ti, Elisabeth:
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Schaff Recht mir Gott und führe meine Sache gegen ein unheiliges Volk . . .   .                          
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coffeeandcigarette

I want a farm and I have a lot of kids, so right now I want a lab. I will probably continue to own labs until I am very very old and much less mobile; then I am getting a white teacup Pom! *squee*

christulsa

Quote from: james03 on February 28, 2021, 03:07:23 PM
Note giving more than 10% is virtuous, but not giving more than 10% is not sinful. 

Just for clarification, nor is it sinful to give less than 10%.  Our Lord having ended the OT 10% tithe as obligatory.

Prayerful

Quote from: MaximGun on February 28, 2021, 01:21:22 AM
I know of people here in SW England who have spent 8000 dollars treating a dog or cat for cancer.

When vets' bills exceed the price of feeding a village in the third world then,vin my view, that is immoral.

For lonely single people 4 figures per year on pets is perhaps justifiable.  Pets are good company and good for mental health. But in a family with lots of children an expensive pet is a luxury.  I think you need to cap the costs, like you would with wine drinking or the cars you drive or what you spend on gambling.

Fatima children said avoid luxury.

So 500 on a dog, reasonable.  4000 dollars on a pedigree breed?  That is excessive

It depends. Pedigrees can cost sums which make 4k seem somewhat small. It still seems a bit unhinged, but if someone meets their obligations and is of means, I cannot see the wrong in it. The thing is that you see quite poor people with a pair of huge dogs, and these aren't working dogs useful for a hunter or farmer. They can provide great companionship, but at what cost?
Padre Pio: Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

drummerboy

If its within your means and no depriving the family of essentials (not to mention not skipping charity) buy all means buy it.  These people need to make a living after all....
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aquinas138

Quote from: christulsa on February 27, 2021, 09:30:46 PM
Dachshunds aren't yippy.

Yes, dachshunds are a good choice for small dogs. However, if you have children, it's best to get a dachshund as a puppy, as they tend to get very set in their ways, and older dachshunds may very well not get along with children, especially if they didn't grow up around them.

It would also be important to have somewhere for them to dig—they LOVE to dig, in my experience, and it is good exercise for them. They are prone to getting pretty fat if they don't get enough exercise. Fat dachshunds can have pretty bad back problems.
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Millennialmom

I'd say like anything, as long as you can afford it on top of other more necessary expenses, and this is the right breed for you, it's fine. You might not find what you're looking for at a shelter and that's okay,

My family went the rescue route, thinking adopting an adult would be better with young children, and we had to return the dog because he had a slew of behavioral issues. He had a serious aversion to my husband for no reason and routinely bullied our senior dog. Needless to say, we'll stick with a puppy, and probably one from a reputable breeder.

What some people don't know is that reputable breeder means a show-bred/preservation breeder that does health testing. This can cost you 1-3000 depending on breed and where you live. Health tested parents. A "backyard" breeder doesn't do this. So while it may seem silly to buy from someone who shows dogs, those are typically the breeders you want to reach out to if you go the purebred route.

ChristusRex

I'm gonna say it again. Stop asking moral questions on an Internet forum. It is not going to help you in the long run.
The Lord our God from tree doth reign

Melkor

@ChristusRex she can ask if she wants to. There are plenty of Catholics on this forum who know their faith very well and can give good advice. I mean, isn't that the whole point of a Catholic forum? So Catholics can discuss their Faith with fellow Catholics?
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ChristusRex

Quote from: Melkor on March 17, 2021, 09:53:37 PM
@ChristusRex she can ask if she wants to. There are plenty of Catholics on this forum who know their faith very well and can give good advice. I mean, isn't that the whole point of a Catholic forum? So Catholics can discuss their Faith with fellow Catholics?

If it were a question here and there, and the person wasn't scrupulous, sure that would make sense. But  she admitted to being scrupulous, so bad, that she "wants to die". And, she has 5 topics started about moral questions in the first page of Ask A Traditionalist. I was just saying that to try and help. I empathize with what she is experiencing and I am trying to share with her what helped me overcome scruples, that's all.
The Lord our God from tree doth reign

Melkor

Hmm @TandJ if you are looking for a good book on our Faith I recommend the Spirago. Very good. Sorry @ChristusRex, I misunderstood your tone. Easy to do with just text and no voice.  :)
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.

"Am I not here, I who am your mother?" Mary to Juan Diego

"Let a man walk ten miles steadily on a hot summer's day along a dusty English road, and he will soon discover why beer was invented." G.K. Chesterton

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill." Jesus Christ