avoiding waste
"an economical meal"
"an economical shopper"
"a frugal farmer"
"a frugal lunch"
"a sparing father and a spending son"
"sparing in their use of heat and light"
"stinting in bestowing gifts"
"thrifty because they remember the great Depression"
"`scotch' is used only informally"
Avoiding unnecessary expenditure either of money or of anything else which is to be used or consumed; avoiding waste.
"After saving for months on frugal meals and cheap transportation, she finally bought the house she had always dreamed of owning."