One obvious reason for Indian frugality is simply poverty. The definition of
an affluent Indian household is one in which the household income exceeds
Rs.5,000 ($125) a month or Rs.60,000 ($1,500) a year (Bullis, 1997). Lack of
money, however, does not entirely explain the Indians' attitude toward
spending. The conservative attitude of Indians toward spending may be seen in
even more affluent Indians. Although they may actually spend lavishly, they
are still concerned about doing it. ``There is nothing,'' Tully (1992, p. 101) writes,
``that Hindus respect more than austerity in others, no matter how much
difficulty they may find in practising it themselves.''