"Budgeting creatively is great, but sometimes investing a little extra can be the smarter move...depends on how much your time's worth, I guess."
Yeah, I get what you're saying about quality saving headaches down the line, but honestly, I've had mixed experiences with that. When we first moved into our custom build, I splurged on some premium tools thinking they'd last forever. Turns out, some of them weren't noticeably better than mid-range stuff—just pricier branding. On the flip side, I've had cheapo items surprise me by holding up way longer than expected.
I think it's less about always spending more and more about knowing exactly where to spend it. Like, paint rollers? Totally agree, cheap ones are a pain. But for stuff like brushes or drop cloths, I've found budget options do the job just fine without any noticeable hassle. Guess it's all trial and error figuring out what's worth the extra cash and what's just marketing hype...
Totally relate to your point about premium tools sometimes being more hype than substance. I learned that lesson the hard way when I shelled out for a high-end cordless drill set. Thought I was investing wisely, but honestly, it didn't perform noticeably better than my buddy's mid-range one. Battery life was decent, sure, but not enough to justify the price difference.
On the other hand, I've found that certain things really do justify spending a bit extra. Like screws and fasteners—cheap ones strip or snap way too easily, and that's just frustrating. Same goes for adhesives and caulking. Tried saving a few bucks there once, and ended up having to redo the whole job because the cheap stuff didn't hold up. Lesson learned.
But you're right, it's definitely trial and error figuring out what's worth splurging on. For example, I used to think expensive measuring tapes were pointless—until I got one as a gift. Now I can't go back to the flimsy budget ones. It's weird how some things you don't appreciate until you've actually used them.
I guess the trick is figuring out what matters most to you personally. If something saves me time or hassle, I'll usually pay a bit more. But if it's just a brand name or fancy packaging...nah, I'll pass.
