It's not about spending. It's about reinvestment, commitment and your loyalty to your business. People in the hi-tech industry sometimes gets paid by cash and stocks or stock options.
Cash is fine, and stock can worth a lot.
Stock options, exercise in the future, can mean a lot or nothing. If you are bullish about your company's growth, you may choose to take less money and take some stock options. It's about belief. If you believe in your company, you'll trade today for future. And you gain much more in return.