In a way that avoids wasting money or resources; spending only what is necessary.
From Latin 'frugalis' meaning economical, derived from 'frux' (fruit, profit). The adverb form adds -ly to the adjective 'frugal,' which entered English in the 1590s.
The word 'frugal' originally meant 'productive' or 'profitable' in Latin—so being frugal was about getting good returns, not just pinching pennies. It shifted to mean economical as people realized that avoiding waste was the most profitable behavior.
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