Getting Your Money
The Whole Point of Retirement Savings Plan is to Accumulate Money for Retirement.
The whole point of a retirement savings plan is to accumulate money for retirement. You're not saving for a sailboat or a new car (well, you might be, but hopefully not in your retirement savings plan). Generally, it may be smarter to use your taxable savings and investment accounts for short-term and medium-term needs such as buying a home or new wheels. That way, you don't put your long-term strategy at risk.
But your retirement savings plan may represent the largest chunk of money you've got stashed away. And you may find it necessary to tap into your plan for expenses prior to retirement by making withdrawals.
Of course, when you finally do bronze your work shoes and put them on display in the foyer, you'll want to start using all this money you've worked so hard to save. At that point, it's time for a distribution from your plan.