'money-saver' originates from English as a compound of 'money' and 'saver'. 'money' comes from Old French 'moneie' and ultimately from Latin 'moneta' (the mint or coin), while 'saver' is an agent noun formed from the verb 'save' (from Latin 'salvare', to save) + the agentive suffix '-er'.

'money' entered Middle English from Old French 'moneie', which derived from Latin 'moneta'. 'save' came into Middle English via Old French (e.g. 'sauver') from Latin 'salvare' (from 'salvus' meaning 'safe'). The compound 'money-saver' is a straightforward modern English formation combining the two words to name something that saves money.

Initially, the components referred separately to 'money' and 'one who saves'; combined as 'money-saver' it has consistently meant 'that which saves money' or 'a person who saves money', and this primary sense has remained stable in modern usage.