A discussion of the factors contributing to a likely increase in austerity establishes the case for a greater emphasis on frugal information systems (IS), which is defined as an information system that is developed and deployed with minimal resources to meet the pre-eminent goal of the client. The U-constructs are adopted as a foundation for a frugal IS, and two simple messaging system-based case studies illustrate their application. Design guidelines and practices for frugal IS are considered. The challenges and potential gains of frugal IS are reviewed.