Frugality is the new sexy

Abstract

The overarching goal of this article is to spur fresh interest in the topic of frugality and new empirical research on it. To do so, this article presents a series of research propositions that are based on the discussions provided in each section. In particular, the second section of this article reviews philosophical and religious accounts of the concept of frugality. The third and fourth sections focus on consumer psychological research on dispositional frugality. The sixth section reflects on two popular consumer lifestyles, miserliness and simple living, that require certain frugal behaviors but are inspired by non‐frugal values. The seventh section links both frugal and non‐frugal values to two sociological variables: generational cohort and social class. Last, the eighth and ninth sections review new obstacles that consumers face in today's marketplace and how consumers can practice frugality in spite of them.