How to Define Frugal

How do you define frugal? Now more than ever, people are looking to embrace the meaning of frugal. For the first time since the great recession of 2008, I find myself redefining my frugality, too. With inflation at an all-time high, it’s an important topic to discuss.

Why redefine? Because when I first started this blog, it was all about a frugal aesthetic. In fact, the blog was called Suddenly Frugal. That was because our family needed to define frugality for ourselves so we could be smarter about how we spent and saved money.

Frugal books I ended up writing

That blog eventually led to two books, which you can still buy on Amazon. One is Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less.

The other is called Toss, Keep, Sell: The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In.

The latter book is only available in Kindle at this point. So, your best best is to sign up for a free trial with Kindle first, then download it.

Finally, you can also buy Suddenly Frugal as an audiobook on Audible. Not an Audible member yet? Sign up for a free Audible trial here.

Definition of frugal vs tightwad vs spendthrift

Back then I wrote a blog post called “Are you a tightwad, frugal or a spendthrift?” Because while those words might seem like they’re a synonym of one another, they actually have very different meanings.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of today’s frugal aesthetic, let me lay out the differences between frugality, and being a tightwad or a spendthrift.

Now I can’t take all the credit for explaining which of these words is a synonym to frugal and which is an antonym.

Years ago I came across a survey from Wharton Business School that asked, “Are you a tightwad, frugal or a spendthrift?”

In surveying 13,000 Americans about these three “labels,” they determined that people who fit into one of these categories have very different personality traits. 

What is a tightwad

According to this study, which created its own “spendthrift-tightwad” scale, tightwads are defined as people “who feel intense pain at the prospect of spending money, and therefore tend to spend less than they would ideally like to spend.”

In fact, tightwads, which some call cheapskates, tend to underspend on many things and therefore always feel as if they’re living at a disadvantage or like they’re missing out on something.

That doesn’t sound like much fun.

A tightwad also often makes money decisions that fit the old adage of cutting off their nose to spite their face.

For example, when taking a road trip they might avoid toll roads because they don’t want to have to pay to drive on such highways.

However, they don’t stop to think that the $1 toll they might pay is a lot less than the two gallons of gas (at $5 a pop) they’ll use up driving a different way.

Here are tips to save on gas.

Finally, tightwads may shop in dollar stores, thinking they’re getting the best price possible. That’s not always true.

Frugal definition

Frugal folks take great pleasure in saving money. In addition, someone who is frugal will spend when they know they are getting the best bang for their buck. 

The Wharton study showed that frugal people tend to be the happiest of the three. “The more frugal you are, the happier you are,” says the study’s authors.

I definitely lean towards being frugal. In fact, the whole goal of writing my original blog–and this latest iteration, too–is to help you to get the most value for your time and money. If that doesn’t define the best bang for your buck, I don’t know what does.

A frugal billionaire

You know who else is frugal? Billionaire Warren Buffet. I recently learned that Buffet eats breakfast at McDonald’s nearly every morning because of the value he sees in a McMuffin.

I have to agree with him. Also, the Egg McMuffin is delicious, affordable and not too bad for your waistline either.

A great synonym for frugal, in this respect, is thrifty. And I mean that in a positive way.

Finally, did you know that the rich like Buffett love to shop at stores like Costco?

Thrifty definition

Since I mentioned that thrifty is often a synonym for frugal, I figured I’d briefly define thriftiness. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of thrift stores or thrifting. I know I love to shop at thrift stores. This is where you can get something at a great price.

Think Goodwill stores. So, in my mind the definition of thrifty is simply trying to get the best price possible for something. Some people may even believe that they’re born with a thrifty gene. I get it. My mother is a New England Yankee. So I was definitely brought up with thrifty and frugal values.

What is a Spendthrift

Spendthrifts “feel insufficient amounts of pain at the prospect of spending and therefore tend to spend more than they would ideally like to spend.” Because of their out-of-control spending, spendthrifts carry a great amount of guilt, which makes them feel unhappy.

At one time I was a spendthrift. I had more debt than I knew what to do with, and I can tell you first hand that I am much happier now that I’m living a frugal life. Now, I feel like I’m in control of my spending, how I feed my family and what I’m able to save each month. If you want the antonym of frugal or frugality, then I would say spendthrift or even just an out-of-control spender would be that opposite.

Frugality can lead to good spending and saving goals

Back in our Suddenly Frugal days, my husband and I made a conscious effort to cut back on our spending. We did this because of various goals we had. 

One of them was to pay off our car so we could free up $400 a month. In 10 months time, we saved up the $20,000 we needed to clear that loan. It felt great to send a payment to the bank that held the car loan.

Paying off that car gave us a little more financial flexibility each month. Why? Because of the $400 we didn’t have to send in car payments anymore.

How to live your own definition of frugal

I truly believe that you can define frugal as something that can be embraced. Being frugal doesn’t have to hurt. In fact, you can find great joy in it. 

That’s why for the remainder of this article I’ll offer you ways that you can be frugal in everything from fashions to furniture, and love everything you own. You may just be surprised that once you define frugality for yourself, you may come to love it.

One last pro for being frugal–it is also a way to live green. I know that in the past few years, our world went back to disposable everything for our health’s sake. But it doesn’t have to remain that way. So as you learn to embrace and define frugality for yourself, you may just find that you’re embracing and defining green living, too.

Frugal furniture and home

Any college student that has picked up a free couch off the curb knows how to work with frugal furniture. But actual grown ups probably don’t want to get used furniture like that–stuff that’s been sitting outside. That is unless you know it was just put outside.

That’s where things like Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace freebies and Buy Nothing Groups come into play. If you see someone giving away perfectly good furniture, you can go get it.In addition, even if the furniture isn’t free, my guess is these groups can get it for you for a frugal price.

Frugal furniture at thrift stores

In addition to online marketplaces, I love getting frugal furniture at thrift stores and places like Habitat for Humanity ReStore. In fact, a few years ago we furnished nearly an entire three-bedroom house with finds from either ReStore or the local thrift store.

I think we spent a total of $500 for all of the furnishings. This includes a dining room table with six chairs (below), two side tables, a kitchen table, nightstands for all the bedrooms, and headboards, footboards and bed frames for all those beds, too.

Where we drew the line of buying used was the soft goods. So we ordered a couch and chairs from a nearby furniture store, and then new mattresses from a local mattress company. In this instance we were supporting local businesses. 

How to create frugal kitchens

Back in my Suddenly Frugal days, I was always looking for ways to build a frugal kitchen. This included making my own dishwasher detergent and investing in kitchen tools that could save me money at the butcher.

For example, these Pampered Chef kitchen shears (which I gave a Suddenly Frugal seal of approval to) allowed me to create chicken tenders without paying for chicken tenders.

In addition, this attachment to my KitchenAid standing mixer let my husband create ground beef at home. As you likely know, tenders and ground meat are much more expensive than whole pieces of meat.

Being a frugal vegetarian

Of course, these days we don’t eat meat–just fish–so those techniques don’t work as well. However, what does work to keep our kitchen frugal is taking full advantage of our Costco membership

For example, we’ll buy bulk bags of frozen fish, vegetables and fruit that’s way cheaper than fresh. Also, we upgraded to the Costco Executive membership because it gives us cash back based on our spending. We more than make back the difference in the membership price with this cash back program.

Costco Membership Deal via Groupon

The best deal on a Costco Membership right now is through Groupon. When you sign up, you’ll get your one-year membership plus a $40 Costco Digital Shop Card for free.

In case you didn’t know, the Costco Shop Card is the store’s gift card. You can use it in store or online.

This offer is for new Costco memberships only or for former Costco members whose membership expired more than 18 months ago. So, if you’ve moved, there wasn’t a Costco nearby and you let your membership lapse for more than 18 months, you’re good to go to sign up for this deal again!

Also, you can avoid the lines at your Costco location by signing up for this Groupon Costco deal. This was the crowd at the new Costco in Maine near where I live. Yikes!

Terms and Conditions

• After purchase you’ll receive an email from Costco confirming your membership details. To pick up your membership card, stop by the membership counter at any Costco location and bring a copy of that email with your photo ID. Incentive will be emailed within 2 weeks after sign-up to qualifying members.
• You’re receiving a One-Year Costco Gold Star Membership
• A membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one additional Household Card for anyone living at the same address, over the age of 16
• A $40 Digital Costco Shop Card (valid at Costco locations and Costco.com)
• Valid only for new members and those whose previous memberships (Primary and Household) have been expired for at least 18 months or more.
• Please allow up to two hours to receive your confirmation email from Costco. You must have either your Costco or Groupon confirmation email to receive your physical membership card at a Costco location.
• A physical membership card is not required to shop online or receive your incentives.
• Incentive includes a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card
• Digital Costco Shop Card will be emailed within 2 weeks after sign-up to qualifying members.
• Digital Costco Shop Card will be emailed to the email address provided by the Primary Member at time of sign-up.
• Not valid for the renewal of an existing Costco membership.
• To purchase this package, you must be 18 years of age or over, and agree to Costco’s Membership Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
• All sales final.
• $40 Digital Costco Shop Card is not redeemable for cash, except as required by law. Digital Costco Shop Cards are not accepted at Costco Gas Stations, Car Washes, or Food Court Kiosks.

Again, this a Groupon-only deal for a Costco membership.

Other warehouse club memberships

Perhaps you prefer to shop at another warehouse club because it is more convenient to where you live than Costco is. Good news: Both BJs and Sam’s Club have Groupon deals right now for memberships. Plus, both tend to have gas stations where members can get a cheaper price when filling up the gas tank.

Suddenly Frugal seals of approval

I mentioned above that I’d given a Suddenly Frugal seal of approval to Pampered Chef kitchen shears. We got these shears in the early 2000s. They are still in my kitchen drawer, and still work beautifully. Talk about a bang for your buck.

Let me tell you, the Instant Pot is a must-have for a frugal kitchen. Not only can I use it as a rice cooker but also we can cook pretty much anything in there.

I’ve made butternut squash soup, my husband has cooked dry beans (which cost pennies, a real money saver) and even a cake. If I were still giving out these seals of approval, Instapot would be on the list. Here are some Instant Pot articles.

Again, I wrote two books about living frugally. You can find them here on my Amazon author page. There’s even an audiobook version of Suddenly Frugal.