It’s not economical

is something we say to justify spending less of our own money to the expense of the actual economy.

Why not tip the delivery driver an extra $10 for saving you nearly an hour of your otherwise billable time?

Why not buy the {slightly more expensive but usable thing}?

“It’s not economical.”

It is not economical to cheapen the economy, which is the value people hold each other to.

Of course this is only true when your (billable) time is not worth much, which is why it has become “economical” to save rather than earn.