I'd agree that your point is also true, and is related to mine: debt and credit are one of the strongest ropes that are being used to bind people into this system, and not carrying around debt helps a lot in being free.

Saving for saving's sake is not enough--I think it helps to divide it into "investing money so that it can 'grow' into more money" and "having enough cash in reserve to provide accounting liquidity in an emergency".

Simply hoarding gems in a mattress, for example, would not be winning strategy.