I'm a natural tightwad and don't spend much on gadgets. I've bought only 2 or 3 rulers (my original 6x24 plus 12" and 5" squares), and a couple of books. One, highly recommended by other quilters, is to calculate how much and the cost of fabric; I never use it and probably never will, so I consider that a bust. Other quilting aids, including magazines, have been given to me as gifts. I have bought a number of thimbles, trying to find one that I like for handquilting. I finally decided what works best for me is the thumb cut out of a old leather glove. Anything else I've bought--mat, rotary cutter, pins--just come under the same category as fabric: necessary purchases that I use and use up.