This post found on FrugalDad.com:
The Difference in Being Frugal, and Being Cheap
What is the first word that comes to mind when I say the word frugal. Cheap? If so, you are not alone. Most people tend to incorrectly associate being frugal with being cheap, when in fact they are two entirely different ways of looking at financial life. Dictionary.com defines frugal as “prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.” The same online dictionary service defines cheap as “stingy; miserly.” But the differences don’t stop with the words’ definitions. Frugal people spend, give and consume a little differently than their”cheaper” counterparts.
Followers of frugality generally believe in being lightweight consumers of resources, whatever those resources may be. For instance, many frugal people prefer to make meals from scratch rather than paying several times for the cost of equivalent foods at a restaurant. Cheap people also frequently look for deals, but still could be heavy consumers of resources. Many cheap people will buy things on sale just because they are on sale, not because they really need them. Frugal individuals hunt for sales, too, but buy only enough to live on for the immediate future. Continue reading The Difference in Being Frugal, and Being Cheap