Meanings
plural frugalistas
- informalA person (especially a woman) who is fashionable while being thrifty.First known use 1990s
Our Frugalista is getting married.
2005 February 11, Aime Palmer, “OUR FRUGALISTA IS GETTING MARRIED!”, in Palm Beach Post (FL), page 4E3 more examples
Of course, some folks think my posts here are just as dreadful, but hey... :-)) I suppose I could collect up all my own posts and cull them for book material, but in true frugalista fashion, I'd prefer to keep them in "free space" so that people can have them for nothing more than a bit of effort in hunting them down.
1996 September 24, Mari Morgan, misc.consumers.frugal-living (Usenet)Maybe the modern, tech-enabled consumer remembers Mom’s frugalista boasts as puzzling behavior in a less-sophisticated era. But with $4 gas and rising prices, it’s something to think back on with fresh understanding
2008 July 27, “Consumed - Silicon Clips - The Coupon's New Life Online”, in New York TimesThis week: cheap thrills and freebies for the frugalista. There's no shame in being a frugalista.
2008 July 30, “The body beautiful”, in Telegraph.co.ukSynonyms: recessionista
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person (especially a woman) who is fashionable while being thrifty.
Origin
From frugal + -ista, after the pattern of fashionista. Piecewise doublet of frugalist.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
frugalista. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frugalista
“frugalista.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frugalista. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frugalista,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frugalista.
Source: frugalista on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.