frugal

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2021 is: frugal \FROO-gul\ adjective

: characterized by or reflecting [economy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/economy#h1) in the use of resources

Examples:

"Frugal diners might prefer hitting Ulrich's on Monday nights, when all burgers are $3 off. It's one of the best deals Downtown, or anywhere in town." — [Nick Vlahos, The Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star, 1 Mar. 2021](https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/columns/nick-in-the-morning/2021/03/01/jims-bistro-among-best-burger-joints-in-peoria/6850216002/)

"But a frugal lifestyle doesn't have to mean a deprived lifestyle. In fact, I've managed to whittle down my spending and boost my savings by making a few simple but meaningful choices." — [Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool, 19 Jan. 2021](https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/4-frugal-living-tips-for-2021/)

Did you know?

Those who are frugal are unwilling to ([lavishly](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lavishly)) enjoy the fruits of their labors, so it may surprise you to learn that frugal ultimately derives from the Latin frux, meaning "fruit" or "value," and is even a distant cousin of the Latin word for "enjoy" (frui). The connection between fruit or value and restraint was first made in Latin; the Middle French word that English speakers eventually adopted as frugal came from the Latin adjective frugalis, a frux descendant meaning "virtuous" or "frugal." Although English speakers adopted frugal by the 16th century, they were already lavishly supplied with earlier coinages to denote the idea, including [sparing](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparing) and [thrifty](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrifty).