What Is the Basic Motivation for Saving? (2024)

By: Jennifer Hench

Saving money is rooted in the psychological need and desire to be financially stable. The security that accompanies saving is one of the basic motivational principles of saving money for the things one wants and needs. Various reasons for saving money motivate individuals to make certain that money is budgeted accordingly, and savings are kept earmarked for use later.

Home Ownership

A basic motivation for saving money stems from the desire to become a homeowner. The cost associated with purchasing a home is high, requiring you to save to help ensure home ownership can become a reality. The down payment required to purchase a home can run to more than 20 percent of the selling price. In addition, closing costs and settlement fees are also required to buy a house and can be saved for in advance.

Retirement

The desire to retire with enough money saved up is a motivation for many people's savings. You need save money to ensure that once you stop working, you will have enough money in the bank or in investments to fund your lifestyle for the rest of your life. Reliance on traditional forms of retirement savings, such as Social Security or 401(k) investments alone is not always enough to pay for the routine expenses of life. Many people are motivated to save money for retirement so that they can afford the things they both want and need.

Travel and Luxury

For some people motivation for saving comes because they want nice things. Not everyone craves luxury items or travel. However, for those who enjoy such things, saving money may be a necessity. Planning for a big trip or a large purchase, such as a boat or car, can provide the motivation one needs to be disciplined in terms of saving money.

Children and College Savings

The future of your children or even grandchildren is yet another motivation for savings. Those with young children are motivated by the prospect of that child eventually going off to college. The rising cost of a college education drives people to save money so that a child can attend college without having to worry about finances. Some parents also are motivated to save for other things for their children such as a car, braces, a wedding or helping grown children buy a home.

Unexpected Situations

It's a simple fact that unexpected events and situations can arise at any time. Job loss, sickness, long-term illness and even economic issues can all cause a financial shift. Having a healthy savings account at the ready can help you get through challenging financial situations.

What Is the Basic Motivation for Saving? (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic motivation for saving? ›

The importance of saving money is simple: It allows you to enjoy greater security in your life. If you have cash set aside for emergencies, you have a fallback should something unexpected happen. And, if you have savings set aside for discretionary expenses, you may be able to take risks or try new things.

What are the 3 basic reasons for saving money? ›

Americans typically maintain a very high savings rate. You should save money for three basic reasons: emergency fund, purchases and wealth building. When it comes to saving money, the amount you save is determined by how much you have left at the end of the month once all of your spending is done.

What are 4 motives for saving? ›

In turn, the economist Keynes distinguished 8 motives for saving: precautionary motive, life-cycle motive, inter-temporal substitution motive, improvement motive, independence mo- tive, enterprise motive, bequest motive and avarice motive.

Why is it important to save enough money? ›

Saving provides a financial “backstop” for life's uncertainties and increases feelings of security and peace of mind. Once an adequate emergency fund is established, savings can also provide the “seed money” for higher-yielding investments such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

What is the most basic motivation? ›

Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior. Once that level is fulfilled the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.

What is the key to saving successfully? ›

Savers with good habits prioritize saving by “paying” themselves first, and THEN spending what's left over. Look at savings like one of your “bills” and choose what percentage you're going to pay into your savings. After that, you're free to spend.

What are the 4 basic motives? ›

There are four basic motives the manager could place on the motive side of the balance scale. They are: fear, incentive, guilt and self.

What are the 3 A's of successful saving? ›

Remember the 3 A's for retirement saving: amount, account, and asset mix.

What are the four primary motivations? ›

human motivation

Primary motives are thought to include hunger, thirst, sex, avoidance of pain, and perhaps aggression

What are 5 benefits of saving money? ›

5 Benefits of Saving Money
  • It helps in emergencies. Emergencies are always unexpected. ...
  • Cushions against sudden job loss. You may have a good job now, but what if you were to lose that job? ...
  • Helps finance those big-ticket items and major life events. ...
  • Limits debt. ...
  • Helps prepare for retirement.

How can we encourage people to save money? ›

You can persuade someone to save money by first discussing the benefits of saving money. You should then help the person create a budget and teach them how to save their money so they can be financially savvy and smart about how they spend their hard earned cash.

What are two reasons to save instead of invest? ›

Key Takeaways
  • Saving money means storing it safely so that it is available when we need it and it has a low risk of losing value.
  • Investment comes with risk, but also the potential for higher returns.
  • Investing typically often comes with a longer-term horizon, such as for children's college funds or one's retirement.
Feb 23, 2023

What are two basic motivations? ›

There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.

What is an example of basic motivation? ›

An example of motivation is watching an Olympic athlete and working hard in sports to become like that athlete. Other examples include working hard at achieving a degree to get a high paying job and taking a drink of water to quench a thirst.

What is the strongest motivation? ›

There are many things that motivate us. But the most powerful motivator of all is fear. Fear is a primal instinct that served us as cave dwellers and still serves us today.

What are the three steps of saving? ›

The following 3 steps can help you reach your savings goal.
  • Draw up a budget. Making a monthly budget is essential if you want to save money in a strategic way. ...
  • Build a contingency fund. If your budget is balanced or shows a surplus, the coast is clear for you to put some money aside. ...
  • Save in a systematic way.

What makes saving so hard? ›

Financial illiteracy is one of the biggest reasons people have difficulty saving or investing money. Many people don't understand how to save or budget their money, which causes them to spend more than they earn. Ignorance can also lead them to make bad financial decisions that can further hurt their ability to save.

What are the 3 types of motivation? ›

There are three motivation types that can be classified as extrinsic, and they all show the very common aspects that stimulate many daily actions.
  • Reward-Based Motivation. ...
  • Power-Based Motivation. ...
  • Fear-Based Motivation.
Mar 15, 2023

What is a primary motivation? ›

Primary motives are unlearned, physiological needs that include hunger, thirst, sleep, sex, avoidance of pain etc. These needs are important for survival and are virtually universal, but they vary in intensity from one person to another.

What are the three main motives? ›

McClelland's human motives model distinguishes three major motives: the need for achievement, affiliation, and power.

What is the rule of 5 saving? ›

It's our simple rule of thumb for saving and spending: allocating no more than 50% of take-home pay to essential expenses, 20% to retirement savings, and 5% to short-term savings.

What are the ABCS of saving? ›

Successful saving depends on three elements which are presented as the ABC's of Saving. A is for Aim: setting a goal. B is for Bank: creating a place to put savings. C is for Coins and currency: making saving money a habit.

What are the three strongest motivators? ›

But it turns out that each one of us is primarily triggered by one of three motivators: achievement, affiliation, or power. This is part of what was called Motivation Theory, developed by David McClelland back in 1961.

What are the 7 most important reasons to save money? ›

Reasons to Save Money
  1. Financial independence. Financial independence gives you the ability to live without depending on others for financial support. ...
  2. Emergency funds. ...
  3. Debt Free Living. ...
  4. Better Retirement. ...
  5. Leave a legacy for loved ones. ...
  6. Achieve long-term financial goals. ...
  7. Investing. ...
  8. Irregular or recurring expenses.
Dec 15, 2022

What is the 10 rule for saving? ›

The 10% rule is not an actual rule per se. It is simply an idea people leverage where you save 10% of everything you earn towards your different financial goals. For instance, towards your emergency fund, saving for retirement, or investing. It's a common rule of thumb when it comes to savings.

What are 7 ways to save money? ›

Here are seven ways to save money every week without sacrificing your lifestyle.
  • Make weekly budgeting a priority.
  • Prioritize your spending.
  • Cut down on unnecessary spending.
  • Track your spending.
  • Use money-saving coupons.
  • Make a grocery list.
  • Stick to a spending limit.
Feb 11, 2023

What is a motivation quote for saving money? ›

Never spend your money before you have it. –

Then and now, spending money you don't have is never a good idea. If you can't pay cash for something, save up for it until you can.

How do you remind yourself to save money? ›

6 ways to trick yourself into saving more and spending less
  1. Post visual reminders of your financial goals in strategic spots.
  2. Find a cheaper phone plan.
  3. Stick with budgeting tools and apps, even when they make you feel bad.
  4. Don't purchase upgrades.
  5. Wait 24 hours to buy any unnecessary items.
Sep 14, 2022

What is a major reason for saving and investing? ›

Saving and investing are both important to consider in your future planning. Through saving money, your money is kept safe, and easy to access should you need it. By investing early over time, your money grows in value, benefiting from the magic of compounding.

What does pay yourself first mean when it comes to saving? ›

When you pay yourself first, you pay yourself (usually via automatic savings) before you do any other spending. In other words, you are prioritizing your long-term financial well-being.

Is it better to save cash or bank? ›

But putting your money into a savings account is a much better bet for a few reasons. First, when you keep physical cash around, you never know when it might get lost or stolen. You might, for example, take some bills out of your cash jar to count them, only to accidentally drop a $20 behind your dresser.

What are the 3s saving spending? ›

They stand for Save, Spend and Share.

What are the 3 most common savings options? ›

Types of savings accounts
  • Regular savings account: earns interest and offers quick access to funds.
  • Money market account: earns interest and may provide check-writing privileges and ATM access.
  • Certificate of deposit, or CD: usually has the highest interest rate among savings accounts, but no access to funds.
Apr 4, 2023

What are 3 common forms of savings? ›

On This Page
  • Regular savings account.
  • Online savings account.
  • High-yield savings account.
  • Student savings account.
  • CDs.
  • Money market accounts.
  • Savings accounts with automatic savings features.
  • Cash management account.
Aug 25, 2022

What are the 4 steps to saving money? ›

How to Save Money in 5 Steps
  • Record your expenses. You do not need to have large amounts of money. ...
  • Make your Plan and Set your Objectives. ...
  • Planificá y establecé objetivos. ...
  • Stay Focused on Your Priorities before Taking a Decision. ...
  • Use Saving - Investment Strategies in the Financial System.

What is the one third rule for saving? ›

Understanding the One-Third Rule

In particular, the rule asserts that for an increase of 1% in capital expenditures to labor, a resulting productivity increase of 0.33% will happen. The one-third rule further assumes that all other variables remain static. So, no changes in technology or in human capital occur.

What are the 4 pillars of spending? ›

Regardless of income or wealth, number of investments, or amount of credit card debt, everyone's financial state fits into a common, fundamental framework, that we call the Four Pillars of Personal Finance. Everyone has four basic components in their financial structure: assets, debts, income, and expenses.

What is the behavior of saving? ›

According to the Maps world of finance, saving behavior is defined as an understand on how people save in a country in order to realize the economic condition of that country.

What is the financial rule of 72? ›

Do you know the Rule of 72? It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.

What is the safest saving option? ›

Here are the best low-risk investments in May 2023:

Series I savings bonds. Short-term certificates of deposit. Money market funds. Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.

What are the main types of savings? ›

Long term savings
  • Child trust funds.
  • Regular savings accounts.
  • Fixed rate savings bonds.

What is the most common type of savings? ›

A traditional savings account is the most common type of savings account. Banks will usually offer you a small amount of interest for keeping your money with them.

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