Hi Rye. First, this is not investment advice OK, so don't let it sway your decision process.
The main thing is that options give you more leverage with the capital you currently have available to you. To illustrate, here are some basic calculations - unrealistic but basic.
Let's say you have $8.40 capital to spend (for easy calculation - 35 * 24 = 840).
You could get 35 options or 24 heads. In January 2018, let's say heads are trading at $1.02, and options at $1.00. You could sell your 35 options for $35. You could sell your 24 heads for $24.48. You could convert your 35 options to heads for $0.70. If you were short on capital, you could sell 1 option for $1.00 and convert your remaining 34 options to heads for $0.68. Your new heads would be worth $34 or $35 if you had the capital available to convert with selling any.
It's really about the ability to leverage the capital you have available right now, on the how that at some point in the future you will be able to either convert with additional capital that you may have, or through the partial sale of some of your options, or that they would be liquid enough to offload as a trade.
There is also a downside to options - if things don't go to plan you may be left holding options that are not "in the money", whereas heads can live to fought another day.
Hopefully you can get your head around my silly explanation, and you can make the decision that meets your risk appetite and available capital.
88E Price at posting:
3.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)