sav·ing 
(sāvĭng)
(sāvĭng)n.
1. Rescue from harm, danger, or loss.
2. Avoidance of excess expenditure; economy.
3. A reduction in expenditure or cost.
4. Something saved.
5.
a. savings Money saved: a bank account for savings.
b. savings (used with a sing. verb) Usage Problem An amount of money saved: a rebate that yielded a savings of $50.
6. Law An exception or reservation.
prep.
With the exception of.
conj.
Except; save.
Usage Note: Traditionalists state that one should use the form a saving when referring to an amount of money that is saved. Indeed, that is the form English speakers outside of the United States normally use. In the United States the plural form a savings is widely used with a singular verb (as in A savings of $50 is most welcome). The widespread use of this construction has steadily eroded resistance to it. In our 2005 survey, only 37 percent of the Usage Panel found this sentence unacceptable. This was a considerable decrease from earlier surveys. In 1988, 57 percent rejected a savings, and in 1967, 89 percent rejected it.