Step 1: Define the target word. 'Frugal' means careful about money and avoiding unnecessary spending. A frugal person spends as little as possible. Step 2: Eliminate antonyms. - 'Extravagant' = spending too much (opposite). - 'Wasteful' = causing waste (opposite). - 'Generous' = giving freely (different concept, not a synonym). Step 3: Confirm the synonym. 'Thrifty' means careful and clever about managing money to avoid waste — a direct synonym for 'frugal'. Answer: thrifty