[s1artibartfast]

>In an ever inflating economy, why 'save' when you can do literally the same thing by taking a loan, getting the thing now and paying for it over time?

Because you cant get a loan. Lending is much more risky if the borrower doesn't have a down payment and their current income is meaningless in comparison to the loan interest compounded over 10-30 years.

Edit: another fact to consider is that in an economy where your only option is to borrow, you pay a premium to the lender and have no option