frugality
Living within means
Frugality is the practice of being careful with money and resources, avoiding waste and unnecessary spending.
It implies deliberate restraint rather than poverty—the frugal person *could* spend more but chooses not to: Her frugality allowed her to retire early.
The word carries mostly positive connotations of wisdom and self-discipline, though it can shade toward stinginess when taken to extremes.
Careful use of resources
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
- self-disciplineRegulating one's own behavior
restraint · moderation · providence · husbandry · carefulness · abstemiousness · stewardship · self-denial
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- restrictionLimit on action
limitation · portioning · wartime · deprivation · make-do · stretch · necessity · resourcefulness
Ability to solve problems creatively
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- reuseEmploy something again
- recycleProcess for renewed use
- reduceMake smaller in degree
upcycling · composting · zero-waste · eco-friendly · renewable · repair · longevity · durability
Accumulated money kept
- expensesMoney spent on things
- budgetPlan for spending
- planningArranging for future events
- spreadsheetTabular data organizer
cashflow · allocation · bills · debt · income · ledger · accounts · forecasting
Remove unnecessary items
- simplicityLack of complexity
- essentialsIndispensable items or elements
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
functional · downsizing · intentional · uncluttered · multipurpose · compact · modest
Child's savings container
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- 401kEmployer-sponsored retirement savings
- IRATax-advantaged retirement fund
- depositPlace for safekeeping
reserve · accumulation · stockpile · hoard · stash · bulk-buying · hand-me-downs · mending
thrift
Careful use of resources
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- parsimonyExcessive frugality with resources
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
self-discipline · restraint · moderation · providence · husbandry · carefulness · abstemiousness · stewardship · self-denial · economizing
rationing
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
restriction · limitation · portioning · wartime · deprivation · make-do · stretch · necessity · resourcefulness
resourcefulness
Ability to solve problems creatively
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- reuseEmploy something again
- recycleProcess for renewed use
reduce · upcycling · composting · zero-waste · eco-friendly · renewable · repair · longevity · durability · sustainable
savings
Accumulated money kept
spreadsheet · cashflow · allocation · bills · debt · income · ledger · accounts · forecasting · calculator
declutter
Remove unnecessary items
- simplicityLack of complexity
- essentialsIndispensable items or elements
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
streamlined · functional · downsizing · intentional · uncluttered · multipurpose · compact · modest
piggybank
Child's savings container
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- 401kEmployer-sponsored retirement savings
- IRATax-advantaged retirement fund
deposit · reserve · accumulation · stockpile · hoard · stash · bulk-buying · hand-me-downs · mending · repurposing
- asceticismabstinence, celibacy, ascetic, austerities, chastity
- minimalismminimalism, declutter, decluttering, simplicity, less is more
- Mohismuniversal love, anti-war, defensive warfare, meritocracy, consequentialism
- parsimonyOccam's razor, economy
- money managementsaving, savings, budgeting, budget planning, expense tracking
- budgetingbudget, budgets, budget app, budget template, budget allocation
frugalityextravagance
Excessive, wasteful spending
wastefulness · lavishness · prodigality · profligacy · squandering
frugalitygenerosity
Readiness to give freely
liberality · munificence · open-handedness · largesse · lavishness
frugalitylavishness
Excessive richness or abundance
luxury · opulence · extravagance · affluence · decadence