What’s the definition of frugal? Contrary to what you might think, being frugal isn’t the same thing as being a cheapskate or a miser.

A cheapskate is someone who pinches pennies in a ridiculous way, coming across as a cranky miser who can’t bear to part with any money.

A frugal person, on the other hand, is merely someone who handles his money wisely and sensibly, still enjoying life while being mature and responsible, too.

A cheapskate is basically someone who has taken frugality to an unhealthy extreme. Due to greed and self absorption, the miser mistakes the possession of money for success – a tragic error indeed.

There’s no reason to be like that. The definition of frugal allows for spending money and enjoying all that life has to offer. It simply means that rather than throwing your money away frivolously, you handle it smartly.

A frugal person buys things they desire; he or she just looks for the best price first and makes certain the item is something they can pay cash for upfront.

In fact, the definition of frugal means that it’s a GOOD thing acquire the things you most desire so long as it’s done within an established budget: this is a positive trait that it’s admirable.

Being frugal requires self-discipline and maturity. It also requires a solid vision of the bigger picture. The point of being frugal now is to get out of debt and build up some savings so that you can enjoy your money (and maybe get away with being a little less frugal!) later on.

A cheapskate, on the other hand, simply hates to spend money on anything, and has no goals of ever being any different, and their goals certainly do not include “giving to others”.

Frugal people are often looked down on in American society because so many are big on buying things NOW, on credit, even if they can’t afford them - and they seem resigned to dealing with the consequences later.

So much of our culture is based on spending money and acquiring nice things NOW – we’ve lost sight of the fact that our character is based on our ability to work hard for what we acquire, and our financial success depends upon our willingness to wait to buy items until we can pay cash for them.

You don’t need to cave in to the “have it now” mentality. By planning for the future, you’re showing common sense and self-control. Too many people don’t do that - it’s hard at first to live frugally, and too many people give up as a result.

However, just because it’s difficult to change those poor spending habits, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. In fact, aren’t most things that are worth having a little hard to get?

Being frugal means reusing and recycling rather than buying, if it’s possible. It means doing sensible things like reducing household expenses, and eliminating any expenses that aren’t necessary. It means not paying for services that you can get for free, or that you can do yourself

So what’s the definition of frugal? It means being smart and making sure that you are getting the most value for every hard earned dollar.

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