[DavidPeiffer]

It depends on your motivations and goals, but if you're trying to optimize for maximum net worth, maxing tax advantaged accounts probably makes sense for most people.

* IRA contributions (but not growth) can be withdrawn without penalty anytime (though you'll need to pay normal income taxes if you contributed to a traditional IRA.)

* You can pay for health expenses out of pocket and reimburse yourself later from your HSA contributions. So the money deposited pre-tax can continue to grow and compound, and if you need it later and have incurred expenses, you can pull it out without penalty.

* Any contribution to a traditional (pre-tax) IRA or 401k avoids taxes now, but you'll pay them later when you withdraw. If you withdraw during retirement, you'll be withdrawing some or that money to fill up the standard deduction, meaning you paid 0% tax. That's a huge incentive to contribute.

These tax advantaged accounts are generally not best for money you'll need in the next couple years, but the strategies I mentioned above can make them marginally more accessible.