VIP status in Last War: Survival is a persistent privilege track, not a one-time purchase - it accumulates through both spending and regular free activity (daily login, event participation, and specific VIP-point sources), and higher VIP levels unlock meaningfully better daily gifts, construction/research speed bonuses, and - critically - an additional troop slot for your squads once you reach the right threshold.
Most players can reach a meaningful VIP level through free play alone if they stay consistent with dailies; spending simply accelerates the same track rather than being the only way to progress it. Because VIP benefits are permanent and account-wide, VIP points are one of the more reliably "always useful" things to prioritize rather than something to skip.
Check your VIP progress regularly and note how close you are to the next tier - many of the bigger benefit jumps (like the extra troop slot) sit at specific thresholds, so it's worth knowing exactly how far away you are rather than only checking occasionally.