Psychological Notes on the Motives for Thrift

A COMPLETE inventory of the motives for thrift and appraisal of each from the point of view of the common good would require thought and investigation by many men for many years. It would presuppose adequate study of the actual working of scores of agencies such as savings banks, building loan societies, installment-plan selling, deferred salary bonuses, and the like; and indeed of all forms of delayed versus immediate use of purchasing power. In default of such adequate information, principles should at least be based on what knowledge is available of the ways in which, and the reasons for which, children and adults do savethat is, delay the use of such purchasing power as they from time to time obtain. The writer, however, lacks even this knowledge and can offer only certain facts and principles based on the general psychology of motives. These may perhaps be helpful.