What purpose does money serve in your life?

I'm letting my practical side and my philosophical side each answer this one, because their answers sound really different. Ultimately tho, it's all the same..

Practical Me: Money is a tool. It's useful. I like to have plenty coming in, cuz it's easier to do more with it, but I've discovered that when I use the tool in an educated way ~ when I'm smart with it ~ I can do way more with it than I thought possible. When I'm not smart with it, it is amazing how little I seem to accomplish.

It's a lot like using a computer: If you don't know how it works, it can leave you banging your head against a wall ~ but if you do know how to use it, it opens up new worlds for you.

Philosophical Me: Money is life energy. I expend my life energy creating value for others and they pay me money ~ which they were paid, because they expended their life energy creating value for others. For me, value and life energy are the same as love. Therefore:

Money = Love

Like I said, it's useful!