Maybe I am "wired" differently from the rest of the world, but when I think about the word "saving," it brings to mind setting money (or food, or something else) aside for future use; creating a stockpile or reserve... whether it be something seasonal or your retirement, or whatever.

My interpretation is pretty strict on that.

When some investment firm emails me to announce that I can "Save $50 on setting up our new and improved investment account!" that's not saving, that's spending. I am supposed to give you my money to invest, and I have to pay for the privilege?

If it's saving, then show me that $50... because it sure as hell isn't in my pocket, anymore!

Of course, it isn't quite the same thing as everyday savings, which I always eye with considerable skepticism.

I think that skepticism originates with long-time-ago sales people who'd call at the door, offering booklets of "Over $1,000 of savings from local businesses" which I could get for the low low price of $49.95... NOW.

Sorry, but from my vantage point, savings that are contingent on expenditure does not constitute saving.

Besides, the offer is meaningless to me, unless the alleged savings are on things I would buy anyway. And "get 30% off purchases of $200 or more" means nothing to me if I never spend more than $50 with the business in question.

I guess some people are just easily lured by things that "sound good."

Not that I am rejecting the idea of reduced price savings, across the board. If I buy a carton of eggs every week regardless, then the fact that the supermarket says "Save $1.00 on eggs this week!" does constitute savings of sort, because paying $2.99 for something I'd be paying $3.99 even if there were no offer is meaningful.

But I get quite inflamed when someone throws "Save 60%!" ads in my face and will argue that it's meaningless as a selling point since I'm unlikely to buy that item at any price... and spending money I otherwise would not have spent does not constitute "saving" under any interpretation of the term!

Besides, "save 60%" is a meaningless concept... because 60% of what are we saving?

Percentages have no real meaning... as we have sometimes observed first hand at a couple of our local supermarkets, whose "regular price" is one thing during weeks when there is no sale, and a higher price during weeks when the same product is allegedly "on sale."

Although it's a lot of information to carry around, I have made a point of memorizing the price of most staple goods as a sort of "absolute benchmark." If a pound of butter is $3.00 or less, the price is dencent... regardless of what kind of clever convolutions the store might throw at us. And if a pound of butter is $2.00 or less, it's "stock up time," subject to whatever limitations the supermarket might impose.

With life being as expensive as it is these days, it pays to stay informed... which bring up the final point that sometimes the best "savings method" might simply be superior information."