The way I look at it...I can earn more money. I can NEVER earn more TIME.
Quilting is something I do for fun. If there's something frustrating or super time-consuming that I can make easier or faster with a gadget or a widget that fits in my budget, I'm BUYING the gadget or widget! If it doesn't fit into the budget I can always save up for it or maybe try to find a class or a friend to teach me another way.