The Scout Law: Thrifty

November 3, 2025

The ninth point of the Scout Law is Thrifty. The Scout book writes, “The Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.” This isn’t just about pinching pennies. It’s a blueprint for resourceful living that honors God, builds character, and sustains our world. As I lead new scouts toward Eagle this school year, teaching thrift means equipping them to thrive amid waste and distraction.

Let’s start with the challenge that the scout should pay their own way and help others. My parents used this point of the Scout Law to teach me responsibility for my own finances. I came to them the summer of my freshman year and showed them my plan to attend summer camp, Philmont Scout Ranch, church youth work camp, and a church retreat, all in one summer. My parents said they could not afford all that. It was going to cost $600, but they thought they could cover half. I needed $300 for my share. I had a few good lawn mowing jobs and hustled a few more. I rarely bought things like souvenirs or extra snacks at home or on trips. That discipline opened doors I couldn’t otherwise afford, and taught me to be thrifty. I believe I have motivated a number of scouts to learn to be thrifty by telling my story.

I love the story where Jesus modeled thrift. The Feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle in all four Gospels. With five loaves and two fish, He fed thousands of people. That is a miracle to be sure. Then, it is as if Jesus says, “Anyone can feed thousands with a few loaves and fish, but by the power of God, we are going to have leftovers.” We read in John 6:12, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost” The leftovers filled 12 baskets! Jesus didn’t waste; He multiplied and shared, turning scarcity into abundance for all.

Another part of thriftiness is saving for the future. The scouts were really stunned by this lesson from financial guru, Dave Ramsey. Let’s say we have two scouts, Ben and Arthur. At 19, Ben invests $2,000 yearly for eight years (a total of $16,000 invested) and then stops at age 27. Arthur doesn’t start investing until he is 27, and he invests $2,000 yearly until 65 (a total of $78,000 invested). If we assume a 12% return annually, then at 65, Ben’s $16,000 investment will have grown to $2.4 million, and Arthur�s $78,000 will have grown to $1.2 million. Then I can teach them about the “millionaire’s best friend”, compounded interest.

Another part of thriftiness is learning to conserve resources and time. We go on a lot of wilderness adventures, and when we leave “civilization” we won’t see stores for a week or more. If they lose a pole, forget food, or want to do something outlandish like build a wilderness sauna or turn a canoe into a sail boat, they need to learn to use the resources that are available.

If the scout comes to me and says, “I lost a tent pole, what am I going to do?” I tell them to think of a plan, and I will help them make their plan work. I have seen many scouts become very resourceful with simple wilderness tools to make their wilderness adventure amazing.

As of this writing our federal debt is almost 38 trillion. People say that if they managed their money like the federal government does they would be in jail. That is not really true, as personal debt is at record levels. Very few Americans use credit cards as a tool, zeroing out the balance every month. Most fall into the high interest trap carrying massive debt loads month to month.

This traditional American value raises a deeper spiritual question for us beyond how we manage our money. To whom does everything we have belong: our money, the earth’s resources, our lives? Those who are Christians are supposed to believe everything is God’s. Do we live believing that all we have, including our precious hard-earned money, is God’s? Do we live as if we are the stewards charged with the proper and thrifty use of these gifts? Can you think of any specific examples of how you live that show that you are thrifty? Which thrift area challenges you most: earning, helping, saving, or conserving? Can you think of a resourceful moment in your life? How did it pay off?

Thrift transformed me from lawn boy to lifelong adventurer. It can reshape you. I challenge you to ditch distractions, invest wisely, improvise boldly. Who will you help today? How can this glorify God with your life? (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).