Psychological aspects of consumption and savings behaviour can also explain the above observation. Katona (1951, 1975) argues that households’ savings behaviour depend in part on their ability or willingness to do so in reality. Postponing consumption is in part a conscious decision requiring self-control. Households with limited financial resources, most of which are spent on necessities, are likely to be less willing to postpone current consumption despite the long-term need to smooth consumption over time (Beverly & Sherraden, 1999). This lack of savings subsequently renders their expenditures more sensitive to income. For example, a reduction in income will induce a household without savings to reduce their expenditures by a similar magnitude as the shock, particularly if they lack access to credit markets. Similarly, for a positive income shock, a lower income household will have more need to increase consumption of essential items rather than save, leading to a larger increase in consumption.