Thrifty

Today, I want to talk about being Thrifty. It is the ninth point of the Scout Law.  A Scout is Thrifty.

Being thrifty doesn’t just mean saving money—it means using what we have wisely. It’s about taking care of things so they last longer and making smart choices with our resources – whether it’s our time, energy, or even the planet we live on.

Think about it: If you have some string and sticks, you could throw them away, or you could use them to make something cool, like a kite or a fishing line. That’s being thrifty—turning something simple into something amazing by being creative.

Thrift means not wasting things, too. We should not waste food, for example. What do you do if you don’t eat something in your lunch at school? Do you throw it away? Think about bringing it home or offering it to a friend. 

In addition to saving money and reusing and repurposing items, being thrifty also means to protect and conserve our natural resources. When we go camping, we don’t burn more wood than we need, we stay on the path so we don’t trample plants and wildflowers, and of course we are careful with fire.

Being thrifty also means thinking about how we can help others. If we use what we need and avoid wasting, there’s more to share with those who might need it. It’s a way to show care and respect for the world and for others.

So this week, look for ways to be thrifty. Fix something instead of throwing it away. Reuse something instead of grabbing something new. And remember: being thrifty isn’t just smart—it’s a way to make a big difference with small actions.