Quote Originally Posted by Darthgummibear View Post
The only thing you "need" to spend cowries on is expansions and the granary.
Yes but almost everything you spend your cowries on gives you a hefty chunk of experience in return.

Unless you're going to sit there and level up your IS to 10 through gathering alone, spending cowries to get that extra experience(or to buy out the shop exclusive seeds for planting) will get you to level 10 faster and thus get you closer to your bike faster.