Is there a word/idiom for someone who thinks long and hard before spending money?

My colleague and I were discussing about certain types of customers in the IT industry. You have to work extremely hard to convince them so that they think about opening their wallets .

However, they should not be mistaken to be stingy (carries a negative connotation). Cost-conscious is a closely related term but is a bit wordy. Another word that I considered is shrewd but I don't know if it fits my context well.

Usage Sentence:

Nowadays, IT customers are becoming increasingly ________. They demand more for less and probably think a zillion times before reaching for their pockets. If they are not convinced 100%, they simply won't open their wallets.

Is there is a noun or an adjective to describe such people? I am also open to using idioms, if there is one that conveys the intentions well.

N.B: I am looking for words with neutral to positive connotations.

Solution 1:

Thrifty might fit:

1 : thriving by industry and frugality : prosperous
3 : given to or marked by economy and good management

[M-W]

Palpably related to thrive, so there is a mild implication of prosperity in connection to the frugality. Frugal is a good option, too, even though it also connotes modesty, which I'm not sure is the case here.

Solution 2:

A lot of the answers' definitions refer to frugality. So I suggest the word itself: Frugal

adjective 1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: What your office needs is a frugal manager who can save you money without resorting to painful cutbacks. Synonyms: thrifty, chary, provident, careful, prudent, penny-wise, scrimping; miserly, Scotch, penny-pinching. Antonyms: wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal, profligate.

2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

Solution 3:

Prudent?

(a) marked by wisdom or judiciousness (prudent advice);

(b) shrewd in the management of practical affairs (prudent investors);

(c) marked by circumspection, discreet (having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech);

(d) provident (careful about planning for the future and saving money for the future), frugal (careful about spending money or using things when you do not need to; using money or supplies in a very careful way)

Ref: Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition for Prudent

Solution 4:

In your specific case I'd use cost-conscious:

• knowing how much different ​products and ​services ​cost, and not wanting to ​spend more ​money than is necessary:

  • cost-conscious ​shoppers/​consumers/​investors

(Cambridge Dictionary)

Other options are:

Parsimonious:

• excessively sparing or frugal. (AHD)

• exhibiting or marked by parsimony; especially : frugal to the point of stinginess. (M-W)

A parsimonious person:

• is unwilling to spend a lot of money. You know those people who count up every penny when it's time to split a restaurant bill? You can call them parsimonious. Or cheap. Stingy is the most common and general synonym, but there are many other near synonyms: thrifty, frugal, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching, miserly, tight-fisted, tight. The adjective parsimonious was formed in English from the noun parsimony "the quality of being careful in spending" (from Latin parcimonia, from parcere "to spare") plus the suffix –ous "having the quality of."

(Vocabulary.com)