frugal
/froo͞′gəl/
  • Economical in use or expenditure; avoiding unnecessary expenditure either of money or of anything else which is to be used or consumed; sparing; not prodigal or lavish.
  • Characterized by or indicating economy.
  • Synonyms Choice, careful, chary, thrifty.
from The Century Dictionary. More at Wordnik
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › frugal
FRUGAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
1 week ago - Today, frugal is used to describe things that reflect a fastidious dedication to foregoing the fancy, as in “he insists on a frugal diet of fungi and fava beans.” Frugal can also describe a person, usually with respect to money, but one can be frugal with other things, too, such as words that start with the letter f, though we certainly haven’t been in this paragraph.
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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary › english › frugal
FRUGAL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
FRUGAL meaning: 1. careful when using money or food, or (of a meal) cheap or small in amount: 2. careful when…. Learn more.
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Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › frugal
FRUGAL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Frugal, economical, thrifty imply careful and saving use of resources. Frugal emphasizes being saving, sometimes excessively saving, especially in such matters as food or dress: frugal almost to the point of being stingy. Economical implies prudent planning in the disposition of resources so ...
Discussions

What does frugal actually mean? Does it mean letting go all the fun things?
No, of course not. It's just a matter of spending money wisely - saving where you can, and spending a lot only when you know it'll be worth it to you. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Frugal
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March 27, 2024
What does frugal mean too you?
its about outsmarting the marketers and sellers for me while still having the things that i consider valuable. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Frugal
45
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October 22, 2023
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Vocabulary.com
vocabulary.com › dictionary › frugal
Frugal - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
A person who lives simply and economically can be called frugal. Buying clothes at a consignment shop would be considered frugal. Not getting your mom a gift for her birthday — that's just cheap.
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Oxford English Dictionary
oed.com › dictionary › frugal_adj
frugal, adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
Not lavish, liberal, or profuse, esp. in expenditure or living; frugal, parsimonious, miserly; abstemious. Obsolete. ... Of a person: characterized by or using parsimony; tight-fisted, mean.
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Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › frugal
FRUGAL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
2 meanings: 1. practising economy; living without waste; thrifty 2. not costly; meagre.... Click for more definitions.
Published   2 weeks ago
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Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition › english › frugal
frugal adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Latin frugalis, from frugi ‘economical, thrifty’, from frux, frug- ‘fruit’.See frugal in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Frugality
Frugality - Wikipedia
January 24, 2026 - In behavioral science, frugality has been defined as the tendency to acquire goods and services in a restrained manner, and resourceful use of already-owned economic goods and services, to achieve a longer term goal.
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Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › frugal
frugal - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Of something which is supplied or used (especially food): Obtained by or characterized by frugality.
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Quanloop Insights
quanloop.com › en › insights › are-you-frugal-or-cheap
What is the difference between frugal or cheap? | Quanloop Articles
October 1, 2025 - People who are generally frugal want to save money, but not at the risk of acquiring something that does not fulfil their needs or waste time. You do not have to go cold turkey on occasional splurges. Rather, be mindful of their value and estimate the cost you are willing to pay. It is inevitable that if you focus on living within your means, you will be labelled as frugal at some point.
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Longman
ldoceonline.com › dictionary › frugal
frugal | meaning of frugal in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfrugalfru‧gal /ˈfruːɡəl/ adjective 1 SPEND MONEYcareful to buy only what is necessary OPP extravagant As children we were taught to be frugal and hard-working.
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CREST Olympiads
crestolympiads.com › spellbee › frugal
Word: Frugal - Meaning, Usage, Idioms & Fun Facts
The word "frugal" comes from the Latin word "frugalis," which means "sparing" or "economical." It has been used in English since the early 1600s.
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Bankrate
bankrate.com › personal finance
What Does Frugal Mean? | Bankrate
August 19, 2025 - For the most part, that means finding ways to pay less for everything from groceries to clothing, utilities and everyday bills. Being thrifty or frugal also means simply going without some things, mostly because it helps you reduce financial waste while freeing up more cash to save.
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TheFreeDictionary.com
thefreedictionary.com › frugal
Frugal - definition of frugal by The Free Dictionary
Define frugal. frugal synonyms, frugal pronunciation, frugal translation, English dictionary definition of frugal. adj. 1. Practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources. See Synonyms at sparing.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/frugal › what does frugal mean too you?
r/Frugal on Reddit: What does frugal mean too you?
October 22, 2023 -

This community is very diverse and pretty intriguing. I have noticed depending on the questions there could be hundreds of reasons for asking any question. We all have different experiences and life situations. One answer may be useful too one situation and not another.

Example if you are frugal because of how you were raised, want too produce less waste and save money for other things you truly enjoy (like myself) my answer may not be very good for somebody that is asking because they are very very short on money due too health issues, fixed income, job loss etc.

My self I was poor as a kid but make really good money for my area even though I am a truck driver. I haul fuel for local stores and it’s a rewarding career but I will never be rich. I am conscious about not using more than I need and as an avid outdoorsman I want people in the future to enjoy nature as intact as possible (I know I haul fossil fuels thats a different discussion) I try to focus on a few things I enjoy like my painting and fly fishing. I am not frugal in any way when it comes to these hobbies. I like to think I offset it with my other habits. My daily driver is 25 years old. I live very conservative financially in most areas.

Does anyone else struggle finding their place in a complex topic such as what is frugal? I find it gets tricky when you take everything in your life into account versus a narrow topic like food for a week.

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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
🔵 Frugal Meaning - Frugal Examples - Frugality Definition - CAE Vocabulary - Frugal - YouTube
Frugal Meaning - Frugal Examples - Frugality Definition - CAE Vocabulary - FrugalWhat does frugal mean? What is frugal? What is the meaning of frugal? A defi...
Published   September 20, 2022
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WordReference
wordreference.com › english dictionary › frugal
frugal - WordReference.com Dictionary of English
frugal - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free.
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Websters Dictionary 1828
webstersdictionary1828.com › Dictionary › frugal
Websters Dictionary 1828 - Webster's Dictionary 1828 - Frugal
Economical in the use or appropriation of money, goods or provisions of any kind; saving unnecessary expense, either of money or of any thing else which is to be used or consumed; sparing; not profuse, prodigal or lavish.