Some folks have a hard time deciding where they might fall on a sliding scale. It has been helpful to me to think of it in terms of hardship vs sacrifice. Here is a very useful comparison (and corresponding image) borrowed from Worts and Cunning Apothocary in Sacramento, CA:

• Sacrifice:  If paying for a service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. 

• Hardship: If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. 

 

If you would like an in depth explanation, please visit this thoughtful blog post by Alexis J Cunningfolk at www.wortsandcunning.com.

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Use this graphic to help identify where you fall on the sliding scale