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The marginal propensity to save (MPS) refers to the amount of disposable income a consumer is able to save. It’s used to reflect the proportion someone is willing to save for each additional dollar of their income.

To understand why MPS is important when quantifying fluctuations in savings and income, we’ll go over how to calculate MPS and how to apply it to your budgeting strategy.

What is the Marginal Propensity to Save?

The marginal propensity to save is defined as the portion of an increase in income that goes towards household savings. In other words, it’s the percentage of additional income a household saves instead of spending on goods and services, and it offers insight into the consumption habits of consumers.

MPS is also referred to as leakage, where the savings is an amount (expressed as a percentage that doesn’t go back into the economy via consumption. Typically, the more a household saves, the more likely it indicates that there is a higher income and better equipped to cover their household expenses.

So, theoretically, if a household saves 10%, it means that for every additional dollar they earn, they’ll save 10 cents.

When consumers are more likely to save as their income grows, the chances are higher they’ll become wealthier. Plus, households will also be able to access services and goods that require more money, such as larger homes in higher cost of living areas, elaborate vacations, or luxury vehicles.

How Income Level Affects Marginal Propensity to Save

Given data on household income and household saving, economists can calculate households’ MPS by income level. This calculation is important because MPS is not constant—it varies by income level. Typically, the higher the income, the higher the MPS because as wealth increases so does the ability to satisfy needs and wants, and so each additional dollar is less likely to go toward additional spending. However, the possibility remains that a consumer might alter savings and consumption habits with an increase in pay.

The Multiplier Effect

The MPS plays an important part in regulating the multiplier effect. The multiplier effect looks at the proportional increase or decrease in income that comes from consumption or savings.

For instance, if there is spending at the government level, it’ll have a multiplier effect (much like how a snowball rolls down a hill) on different parts of the economy. This change is due to the fact there is now additional disposable income consumers can spend on consumption and savings.

By understanding what the MPS is, economists can see how increased government spending can influence savings. It’ll also help to determine how consumers’ saving habits will influence the overall economy. The lower the MPS, the more of an impact on changes in government spending there will be.

Calculating the Marginal Propensity to Save

Calculating the MPS involves dividing the change in savings by a change in disposable income.

The following formula is used to calculate the MPS:

MPS = change in savings / change in disposable income

The savings represented by the value of the MPS will change if income changes by a dollar. Presented on a graph, the MPS is the equivalent of the savings line that’s created by plotting changes in income on the horizontal line (x-axis) and changes in savings on the vertical line (y-axis).

Another important point to note is that MPS will range between zero and one. If the MPS is zero, then it means changes in income doesn’t have an effect on savings (consumers spend all additional income). If MPS is one, then all additional income is saved.

Example

Jasmine successfully negotiated a promotion and annual bonus and received an additional $3,000 with her next paycheck. Jasmine decides she wants to spend this amount on a nice dinner out with friends totaling $150, and a vacation in Mexico for $2,000. The total she spends out of her bonus is $2,150, saving $850.

Using the above MPS formula, the calculation is as follows:

$850 / $3,000 = 0.283 = 28.3%

Therefore, Jasmine saved 28% of her additional income or 28 cents for each additional dollar she earns.

Remember, MPS isn’t constant since various factors in addition to changes in income will influence consumer spending habits. For instance, the time of the year can influence seasonal trends, which can correlate with higher spending.

Applying MPS to Your Budget Strategy

Though it seems like MPS is more for economists, you can apply this tactic to your personal budget.

When it comes to increasing your income, it might be tempting to spend a large portion of it. After all, you might want to celebrate a pay raise or promotion. Or, you might decide to increase your grocery budget, swapping out some of your regular produce for organic varieties.

However, there are benefits to saving some of the extra money. Perhaps you have a financial goal you can use it towards, like saving for a down payment on a house. Or you want to start investing and with this boost in income, you now have the means to do so.

If you haven’t yet decided what you’re saving for, just getting into the habit of saving will get you on the right track. Plus, you’ll learn how to budget effectively, no matter which type of budgeting technique you use.

Let’s say you want to be able to set aside 20% of each paycheck towards investments and a larger emergency fund. You received a $1,000 bonus from work this month and want to make sure you’re not tempted to spend it all.

Using the above formula, you want to have an MPS of 30%, or 0.3. That means with that bonus, you want to be able to save $300, allowing you to put $800 of it towards other areas in your budget. Once you have this number, you can take proactive steps to save that money. Automatically transferring $300 to a separate savings account is a good start.

Considering your income may fluctuate, you’ll probably want to revisit this formula on occasion to make sure you’re on track. Plus, it’s likely your spending habits will also change—such as spending more during the holidays—so if you need to spend more, then you can adjust your savings rate temporarily. At the end of the day, it’s all about being aware of where your money is going.

Recommended: 39 Ways to Earn Passive Income Streams

The Takeaway

Marginal propensity to save may seem like a term that doesn’t relate to your budget since it’s normally used to help economists. However, thinking about it in simple terms such as a savings rate is more helpful. That way, you can use it to apply it towards your savings goals and budgeting tactics as your income changes.

Saving money is half the battle: making sure your money is working for you is the other half. Opening a checking and savings account with SoFi can earn you more than the national interest average, squeezing even more value from your hard-earned dollars.

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What is Dogecoin?

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a an altcoin launched in December 2013, possibly as a joke. But cryptocurrency investors consider Dogecoin’s blockchain, derived from Litecoin, as reliable, which is one of the many reasons for the cryptocurrency’s rise to prominence.

The “Doge” in Dogecoin comes from the Flash cartoon “Homestar Runner,” in which Homestar calls another character his “D-O-G-E,” deliberately misspelling the word “dog.” In the early 2010s, a blogger posted a picture of her dog smiling excitedly, which struck a chord on Tumblr and Reddit. Then, a Redittor called the image “Doge, “creating a meme.

» Looking for more guides? Check out our crypto glossary.

How Does Dogecoin Work?

That code for Dogecoin is based on Litecoin, and early versions of the coin incentivized block miners through a randomized reward system. But the coin would soon change to a static-reward system for miners in March 2014. Being based on Litecoin, Dogecoin uses scrypt technology. It’s a proof-of-work coin, which is the reason for its low price and virtually unlimited supply.

That scrypt technology set it apart from other kinds of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, which uses a different proof-of-work algorithm called SHA-256. While the differences between the two are complicated, the upshot is that Dogecoin’s scrypt allows for an unlimited supply of coins. This makes Dogecoin a so-called “inflationary coin,” whereas Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies are considered deflationary, because there’s a fixed limit to the number of coins miners can create.

Recommended: What is Bitcoin Halving and Why Does it Matter?

Who Created Dogecoin?

Jackson Palmer, an Australian project manager, created Dogecoin, which he originally thought of as a way to make fun of the media frenzy around cryptocurrencies. But he did purchase the dogecoin.com domain. At the same time, Portland, Oregon-based software developer Billy Markus looked up from his desk at IBM, and noticed the social-media attention that Dogecoin was gathering. Together, Palmer and Markus began to write the code that would underlie the first actual Dogecoin.

Two weeks after Palmer and Markus launched Dogecoin in 2013, its value rose by a staggering 300%. In those days, Dogecoin marketed itself as a “fun” version of Bitcoin. Its smiling-dog logo fit the playful atmosphere mood of the crypto community at the time, while its underlying code kept it relatively cheap to buy.

That playfulness showed up in the Dogecoin community’s 2014 donation of 27 million Dogecoins (roughly $30,000 at the time) to bankroll the Jamaican bobsled team’s expenses at the Sochi Winter Olympic games.

What Can Dogecoin Be Used for?

Once you have some Dogecoin, you can put it in a BitPay wallet, and via their partnership with Mastercard, you could put it on a prepaid crypto card, which you can spend anywhere Mastercard is accepted. That means you can use your Dogecoin to buy just about anything.

BitPay has also added Dogecoin support for Apple Wallet, which allows you to store their BitPay Card – and the Dogecoins within it – in your iPhone to make Apple Pay purchases.

How Did Dogecoin Become So Popular?

Born from a Reddit meme, Dogecoin had a ready audience of supporters ready to buy into the cryptocurrency, especially on the WallStreetBets subreddit. But it reached a far wider audience through its celebrity endorsements.

How Many Dogecoins Are There?

There were more than 129 billion Dogecoins in circulation on May 21, 2021, according to CoinMetrics. That made it the highest-circulation cryptocurrency in existence. The closest contender is Stellar (XLM), with 105 billion coins in circulation. By comparison, Bitcoin has just over 18.5 million in circulation.

Dogecoin has no limit as to how many coins miners can create. This is a stark contrast to Bitcoin, which is designed to never exceed 21 million coins in circulation, a level it should reach in the year 2140.

Why Is Dogecoin So Cheap?

Dogecoin is so cheap because there are so many of them, and because so many more are coming into existence, without limit, for the foreseeable future. The founders have decided not to cap the amount of Dogecoins in existence. And the law of supply and demand means that, without scarcity, the coins will remain inexpensive.

But that same low price is also why Dogecoin is so liquid, and can trade so quickly. While the price remains low, it has gone up substantially, increasing 12,000% from January to July, 2021. That’s an incredible return for those who managed to HODL their cryptocurrency through the volatility.

Dogecoin Price Prediction: Will It Reach $1?

Of course, it’s impossible to predict the future, but at present, it is very easy and inexpensive to mint new Dogecoins. As a result, one could reason that it is unlikely to reach $1 per coin until it becomes harder and more expensive to mint new Dogecoins.

Is Dogecoin a Good Investment?

While Dogecoin has gone up in recent years, it’s very hard to predict the future of any form of crypto. But if crypto is a big part of your investment strategy, then Dogecoin could make sense as part of a diversified crypto portfolio. It is a popular currency, and has a unique set of investors behind it.

That said, Dogecoin comes with risks. Critics say that Dogecoin, as a cryptocurrency, doesn’t have many advantages built into its code or its applications. They also point out that beyond the popularity of Dogecoin, there’s not much that differentiates it from a new crypto competitor that could emerge tomorrow next year. But boosters point to Dogecoin’s popularity and growth as the kind of first-mover advantage that new competitors may have trouble matching.

How Can I Buy and Sell Dogecoin?

You can invest in Dogecoin through a crypto exchange, like Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, or another platform. After opening an account and funding it, you can use those funds to trade Dogecoin or other cryptocurrencies.

The Takeaway

Dogecoin is an altcoin that has gained a significant following, despite its origins as a joke currency. It is just one of many types of cryptocurrencies that crypto investors might consider adding to their portfolio.

If you want to invest in Dogecoin without opening an account on a crypto exchange, you can open an account on the SoFi Invest® brokerage platform. You can use the app to purchase stocks and exchange-traded funds as well as to build a crypto portfolio.

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