There are three major and important reasons: for retirement, to provide a cushion, and to be able to capitalize on opportunity. If you save more now, you can r

There are three major and important reasons: for retirement, to provide a cushion, and to be able to capitalize on opportunity. If you save more now, you can retire earlier or maintain a higher quality of life. If you save enough to provide a nice cushion, you can ride out the bad times or worse (child sick, lose job, car falls apart...). Again, and perhaps most excitingly, being able to draw on a reserve lets you leverage opportunity. This is not about debt. It's about making sure you have the ability and the freedom to live beyond the day to day.