Would I rather have $10 today or $10 five years from now?

Today. The answer is simple when you consider inflation, compound interest, and market returns.

Historically the United States stock market has returned around 11% per year for the last 40 years. Over the last 5 years alone, it has averaged over 17% growth per year.

Inflation is a bitch. Inflation in the United States has averaged 2.8% per year against the cost of goods. Obviously inflation is a wealth killer but it stands no match against amortized market returns.

How can this be leveraged to work in my favor?

I need to make as much money as possible now so that it can sit in the market.