frugal
Careful with money
Frugal describes careful, sparing use of resources—especially money.
A frugal person avoids waste and unnecessary expense: frugal habits, a frugal lifestyle.
A frugal meal is simple and inexpensive.
The word carries approval rather than criticism, suggesting wisdom rather than stinginess: My grandmother's frugal ways got the family through hard times.
Prudent with resources
- prudentExercising sound judgment
- providentShowing careful foresight
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- conservingProtecting from depletion
careful · judicious · sensible · practical · measured · moderate · restrained · self-sufficient
Using resources minimally
- parsimoniousExcessively unwilling to spend
- tightfistedUnwilling to spend freely
- stingyUnwilling to spend freely
- miserlyExcessively reluctant to spend
penurious · niggardly · cheapskate · scrooge · penny-pincher · skinflint · hoarding · self-denying
Free of complexity
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- austereSeverely simple and unadorned
- bareLacking any covering
- unadornedLacking decoration or ornament
plain · modest · unpretentious · no-frills · pared-down · declutter · essentialist · streamlined
Plan for spending
- savingsAccumulated money kept
- cost-cuttingReducing expenditures deliberately
- cutbacksReductions in spending
- penny-pinchingExtreme reluctance to spend
Favorable purchase price
- discountReduced price offered
- couponCertificate for reduced price
- dealAgreement or distribution
- saleExchange for payment
clearance · markdown · rebate · voucher · comparison-shopping · secondhand · consignment · garage-sale
thrifty
Prudent with resources
- prudentExercising sound judgment
- providentShowing careful foresight
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
conserving · careful · judicious · sensible · practical · measured · moderate · restrained · self-sufficient · repurposing
sparing
Using resources minimally
- parsimoniousExcessively unwilling to spend
- tightfistedUnwilling to spend freely
- stingyUnwilling to spend freely
miserly · penurious · niggardly · cheapskate · scrooge · penny-pincher · skinflint · hoarding · self-denying · ascetic
simple
Free of complexity
unadorned · plain · modest · unpretentious · no-frills · pared-down · declutter · essentialist · streamlined · functional
budget
Plan for spending
- savingsAccumulated money kept
- cost-cuttingReducing expenditures deliberately
- cutbacksReductions in spending
bargain
Favorable purchase price
sale · clearance · markdown · rebate · voucher · comparison-shopping · secondhand · consignment · garage-sale · flea-market
- lifestylessimple living, city life, family life, minimalism, rural life
- thrift sayingspenny saved, penny wise, pinch pennies, penny pincher, live within means
- bootstrappingself-funded, self-funding, sweat equity, startup funding, solopreneur
- money mindsetsthrifty, generous, stingy, greedy, cheap
- bargainsbargain, bargain hunting, discount store, coupon, rebate
- budgetingbudget, budgets, budget app, budget template, budget allocation
frugalextravagant
Exceeding sensible bounds
wasteful · profligate · spendthrift · prodigal · improvident
frugalgenerous
Willing to give freely
lavish · munificent · openhanded · freehanded · liberal
- frugal livingEconomical way of life