I was watching TV one morning, and someone had written a book about building wealth. He made a great comment….

“You save to have options, not things.”

That comment really resonated with me.  For me, that has been a key driver in helping me make good choices: whether they are big ticket items, or whether they are small choices.  Once I started earning a good salary, it seemed like buying things was the right thing to do with my money.  But once I started having bad experiences at work (an annoying boss, boring projects), I realized what I really wanted were options.

Ultimately, who wouldn’t want options?  To me, options represent choices.  And having choices  is a much better situation than having only one or no choice. It means freedom vs. being trapped.  And it’s not just applicable to saving….it’s true about career choices too.  A friend talked to me about a potential role, and after talking through it, she realized it would narrow her options, not expand them….so she passed.

So when you save your money, you are still buying….. options for yourself.