"The Answer Desk" at MSNBC.com discusses Americans' oft-quoted "savings rate" and why government-research methodologies make it look so abysmal:

MSNBC: "Saving Too Little?"

So maybe the Commerce Department should stop calling it the "savings rate," and perhaps refer to it as the "after-tax, non-disposed, accidentally forgot to spend this money" rate.

We really should come up with better ways to measure and document these things, don't you think?

(FWIW, I still think your average Joe & Jane Sixpack overspend on a monthly basis.)