hah!
i figured it out. it took a while. but i finally did it. i've traced the cause of the current economic crisis to its roots. yes, the culprit for the current meltdown is none other than the checkout lady at the grocery store. this epiphany came to me while i was fetching milk and potatoes for dinner. she rang up my groceries and circled a number on the receipt. you saved $6.74, she says. i made the standard quip, oh i saved money by spending it. and pow! it hits me. go to the bank. the cashier says you saved $674. you say, give it to me. and she does. would you like $10s or $20s? try that one with the grocery clerk. did you find everything okay? yes. you saved $6.74. oh did i? give it to me. huh? you are bound to cause some serious confusion. explain how savings work at the bank. then demand your money. get the manager. she said i saved $6.74. i want it. if i saved it, it's mine. give it to me. every penny. either that or stop telling me i saved money. or were you using some other definition of saving? and there we go. one word. two definitions. marketing has convinced us we can save money by spending it. the distinction between the two kinds of saving gets really intentionally lost. and the confusion diffuses elsewhere. like say the government. it needs to save money to pay off its debts. and the best way to save money is to spend it. it all makes sense. unfortunately.