Observing how the economy has affected discretionary spending, a service called SmartyPig aims, with a friendly face and soothing pink motif, to help users save … and pass savings on from online retailers.

The site launched this year. Its modus operandi is to help users build online savings goals for major purchases, including travel, electronic devices and gifts for the holidays. A high-yield savings account passes a 3.9% APY onto customers, which can also earn up to 6% in savings from major retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Hyatt, Macy's, Marriott, Overstock.com, and Pottery Barn.

The model's ideal for an economy like this one. American consumers increasingly confine their discretionary spend to the internet, hoping both to save gas and find deals.

37% of SmartyPig users fall between the ages of 26-35; the next-largest segment, 18-25-year-olds, comprise 30% of the userbase. Those aged 36-45 (20%) and 46+ (13%) comprise the remainder of users.

Since summer, the site witnessed a 416% growth in users, and a 506% growth in deposits. (No concrete figures were provided, but SmartyPig claims it had customers in all 50 states within its first three months live.)

To support its model, SmartyPig published October statistics that reveal a $1,000 increase in savings goal amounts:

• From September to October, average savings goals increased from $7675 to $8558.
• 12% of users earmarked an average of $903 for holiday spending.
• 10% of users plan to save $2470 for electronics.
• 21% want to save an average of $4411 for travel.
• 3% hope to stash away $6632 for emergency expenses.

Other SmartyPig features include social networking widgets — enabling users to share savings goals via MySpace and Facebook, for example — and Twitter-based contests.