Scarcity is not merely the gap between resources and desires on average. Even if, as in the case of the vendor, there are many days with slack, it is the days of scarcity that matter. To be free from a scarcity trap, it is not enough to have more resources than desires on average. It is as important to have enough slack (or some other mechanism) for handling the big shocks that may come one’s way at any moment.
