Saving and Saving Function in Economics

 Saving and Saving Function


Saving in economics refers to the part of an individual's or household's disposable income that is not spent but is instead stored aside for future use. Saving can take several forms, including putting money in a bank account, buying stocks or bonds, and investing in real estate.

Saving is an important component of the economy since it provides the finances required for investment. Individuals who save provide funds to businesses and governments, who can then use those monies to invest in new projects such as building factories, developing new goods, or improving infrastructure. This investment results in economic growth and job creation.

The portions of revenue that are not used for consumption are saved. Savings are equal to income minus consumption and represent the share of disposable income not used for spending. Saving is a leakage in the circular flow of income and spending that is fixed by reinvestment or injection.

Saving is essentially setting aside some of your money for future needs. There are many strategies to save money, but they all involve either lowering costs or raising income. Setting up an account at a bank or credit union and putting some of each paycheck into it is the most popular method of saving money. This provides you simple access when you need it and enables you to accrue money over time without exerting any additional effort. Anyone and any amount of money can be saved. It may be a little monthly contribution or a substantial lump-sum payment. Whatever you choose to do, the saving will enable you to reach your financial objectives more quickly than if you were to rely just on revenue generation.

S = Y - C

 But C = a + bY 

So, S = Y - a - bY

       S = -a + (1-b) Y

       S = - a + s Y

Where s = (1 - b)  Marginal propensity to save.             

            b = Marginal propensity to consume

            S = Saving

            -a = Saving at zero income

Saving Function

The saving function is the relationship between income and saving. There is a positive relationship between saving and income.

Symbolically, S = f(Y).

 The saving function is a concept that describes the relationship between income and savings. It states that as a person's income increases, their saving will also increase, but not proportionally. The saving function is represented by a negatively sloped line, showing that as income increases, saving also increases but decreases.

The saving function is usually represented graphically, with income (Y) on the horizontal axis and saving (S) on the vertical axis. The slope of the line, also called the marginal propensity to save (MPS) is the amount by which saving changes in response to a change in income. The MPS is always positive and less than 1, which means that as income increases, people will save a portion of that increase and spend the rest.


The point where the saving function intersects the Y-axis represents an autonomous saving, which is the level of saving that takes place independently of income. The difference between total saving and autonomous saving is induced saving, which is the saving that is induced by changes in income.


The saving function is closely related to the consumption function, as the two are complementary. The consumption function describes how consumption changes as income changes, while the saving function describes how saving changes as income changes. Together, they help to explain how people divide their income between consumption and saving.


The saving function is a key concept in macroeconomics, as it helps to explain the behavior of aggregate saving, which is the total saving of all households in the economy, and how it responds to changes in aggregate income. The saving function is also important for understanding the relationship between savings and investment, as saving is a source of funds for investment.

A description of the different types of saving function

1. Average propensity to save

APS  is the ratio of total savings to total income. It is expressed as APS = S/Y

2. Marginal propensity to save

MPS is the ratio of change of saving resulting from one unit change in income. It is expressed as MPS = 𝛥S / 𝛥Y

Where 𝛥S = Change in saving, 𝛥Y is changed in income.

Y = C + S

By dividing Both sides by Y we get,

Y/Y = C/Y + S/Y

1 = APC + APS


Factors on which MPS depends:


The marginal propensity to save (MPS) is a measure of how much of an increase in income is saved by an individual or household. The factors that affect the MPS include: Income: The higher an individual's income, the more they are likely to save as they have more disposable income to put into savings. Age: Younger individuals tend to have a lower MPS than older individuals as they have more obligations, such as education loans and mortgages, which limit the amount they can save. Wealth: The wealthier an individual is, the higher their MPS is likely to be as they have more disposable income to put into savings. Interest rate: The higher the interest rate, the more attractive saving becomes as individuals can earn a higher return on their savings. Taxation: Taxation policies that favor savings will increase the MPS as individuals will be incentivized to save more. Inflation: The higher the inflation rate, the lower the MPS is likely to be as individuals may choose to spend their money rather than save it, due to the fear that the value of their savings will decrease. Consumer Confidence: if people feel confident about their future income and job security, they tend to save more. Social Security: if people think that social security will not be adequate for their retirement, they tend to save more. Risk Aversion: If people are more risk-averse, they are more likely to save more as they prefer less risky investments, such as savings accounts, over more risky investments, such as stocks.

Saving is essential to sustaining rapid and long-lasting growth in the world economy, accomplishing external adjustment, and reducing the burden of international debt. In many rich and developing nations over the past 20 years, saving rates have declined significantly, along with capital accumulation and development. Additionally, significant disparities in saving rates among nations produce significant current account deficits, particularly among major industrialized nations.

Saving is advantageous for society as a whole because it is one of the major determinants of economic investment, which is necessary to boost long-term economic potential.

In a bank-centric financial system like Macedonia, where banks serve as the primary financial intermediaries, a sizable amount of savings typically finds its way into the banking system, giving domestic banks a reliable source of funding. The economy's demand for foreign finance is rationalized by a high domestic savings rate, making it less susceptible to abrupt changes in capital flow dynamics. less susceptible to shocks from the outside economy. The current financial crisis has brought to light the dangers of excessive leverage and reliance on outside funding, as well as the significance of domestic savings, which have shown to be a more reliable source of funding.

Although most Americans are aware of the value of saving, having savings in the bank can come in handy when times are rough for the economy (which will undoubtedly happen given the cyclical structure of the financial system). Saving money at a difficult economic time is not a revolutionary idea. However, you might be shocked by how much a high savings rate can hasten a nation's overall economic recovery. However, regardless of the state of the economy, conserving money is always a good idea.

The different forms of saving

1. Personal or Individual Saving

Individual or personal savings are sums of money set aside by an individual from his or her earnings. Cash, bank deposits, government securities, and other options are all possible.

The difference between your income and expenses is your personal savings. It is a notion that calculates how much money is left over after all bills have been paid. Cash, bank deposits, government securities, or any other kind of financial asset can be used as personal savings. The personal savings rate is determined as follows:

Personal saving rate = Personal Savings / Disposable income

2. Corporate Saving

The gap between a corporation's income and expenditures is known as corporate saving. In other words, it is the sum of money that is still available after all costs have been covered. You can figure it out by deducting total expenses from total income. The corporate savings might be put to use for dividend payments, share repurchases, or new project investments.

Retained earnings and depreciation allowances make up corporate savings. Retained earnings are monies that a firm holds on to for potential use in the future; they could be used to grow operations or distribute dividends to shareholders. To determine corporate savings, depreciation allowances—amounts put aside for wear and tear on buildings or equipment—are subtracted from revenues (the remainder is reported as net income).

3. Compulsory Saving

One technique to compel people to save money is compulsory saving. It can be accomplished by requiring all employees to set aside a portion of their pay into a pension fund or other sort of savings plan. Additionally, the government may impose taxes on businesses that fail to make the appropriate contributions or mandate that they put in a particular amount per employee.

Why does the government mandate saving?

Governments enact forced savings laws primarily to increase the amount of money available for future investments and economic expansion. There will be less demand for products and services if everyone makes at least some savings.

4. Forced Saving

With forced saving, the amount of money saved is completely out of the saver's hands. Setting up automated transfers from one's bank account to another savings account is one way to accomplish this. The transfer may occur every month, every three months, or even every year. These transfers need to be put up before the person receives their paycheck to prevent them from using it for something else.

5. Government Saving

If the income of the government is more than the expenditure of the government, there will be government savings.

Saving means different things to different people. To some, it means putting money in the bank. To others, it means buying stocks or contributing to a pension plan. But to economists, saving means only one thing—consuming less in the present to consuming more in the future. Saving is the process of setting aside a portion of current income for future use, or the flow of resources accumulated in this way over a given period. Saving may take the form of increases in bank deposits, purchases of securities, or increased cash holdings. The extent to which individuals save is affected by their preferences for future over present consumption, their expectations of future income, and, to some extent, by the rate of interest.

Why save money?

Saving also directly impacts the standard of living of an individual or household. Saving allows people to acquire wealth over time and plan for future needs such as retirement or school for their children.

Furthermore, saving might help to maintain economic stability. People who save are less likely to be affected by economic downturns because they have saved money for a rainy day. Furthermore, saving during periods of inflation can help to safeguard the purchasing power of money since the monies saved can be utilized to purchase products and services at a later time when prices may be lower.

Overall, saving is an important economic concept since it plays an important role in economic growth, stability, and individuals' financial well-being.

Conclusion:

Saving is putting aside the cash you don't use right away for unforeseen expenses or a future purchase. You want to be able to retrieve the money fast, with little to no risk, and with the fewest taxes possible. Financial organizations provide a variety of ways to save.

Saving money has the benefit of giving you extra money down the road to spend on other things. If you start saving early enough, you'll have a sizable nest egg when you retire. This means that you will be able to live well off of your own savings and investments rather than relying on social security payments (pension) or other types of governmental support. You can potentially receive tax advantages if you deposit your money in a savings account. It is advised to store money in a bank or other financial institution rather than at home because the interest earned outweighs inflation.


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