Bordering on the miserly (4)
I believe the answer is:
near
This clue is a double definition.
'bordering on' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)
'miserly' is the second definition.
(both can mean reluctant to spend money)
'the' is the link.
(Other definitions for near that I've seen before include "Easy to reach - hard to touch!" , "Miserly; approach" , "Close in time or place" , "Almost; approach" , "A short distance away" .)