From How to Think About Money by Jonathan Clements:
First and foremost, money buys time and autonomy. Secondarily, it buys experiences. Last, and least, it buys stuff, and more often than not, the stuff we buy makes us miserable.
Most people live their lives with these in the opposite order, but Clements is absolutely right.
You don’t have to be a FIRE-fanatic to realize that setting up your professional life, spending, and saving to optimize for number one is the winning strategy.