tacañear

to be sparing with

to be stingy

tacañear

transitive verb

1. (to spend frugally on)

a. to be sparing with

No tacañees la comida; nunca es buena idea.

Don't be sparing with food; that's never a good idea.

b. to skimp on

Si tacañeas la salsa de tomate, esto no va a tener el sabor de la pizza italiana.

If you skimp on tomato sauce, this is not going to taste as an Italian pizza.

intransitive verb

2. (to be scant in spending)

a. to be stingy

Es tan miserable que, a pesar de tener mucho dinero, tacañea cuando se trata de gastar dinero en su familia.

He's so stingy that, despite having a lot of money, he's stingy when it comes to spending money on his family.

tacanear

transitive verb

(S. Cone) (apisonar) to tread down; (machacar) to pound; crush;