When you have a problem, usually the first impulse is to buy a solution. That's not the best way to go. It might be just to bodge a solution, or borrow. I noticed that if you look at a complete line-up of a product, there are certain categories of products that are created. Some of them are good, some are wastes of money, here's a rough draft of the observations.
If money is a limiter, you should avoid spending it, until it is too difficult not to spend. Ex. once you finally decide you want to buy something, you spend a few months trying to get it used, if you do not get it, then you can consider buying new, but you will likely wait for a sale or a special event. I'll write another post on the long protracted process of buying something.
first you meet the need
then you meet all the needs
then you improve on the needs in order to achieve another goal or need
for important needs, you establish more robust systems
for other needs, you improve as is necessary to meet the need, become robust, provide well, but avoid going to luxury regularly.
how do i define luxury? art without substance, or even art that detracts from substance
there is a similar thing with products
most basic is to do it with a free solution - bodge a solution, use what you have, use something else that doesn't really work but gets the job done
borrow some tool, borrow a nice tool
something that can do the job - cheap walmart shotgun - cheap
something that can do the job reliably - remington 870 / mossberg 500 - best value, reliable
something that can do multiple jobs - do it all, but not well, not a good use of money unless just experimenting, or the cost of one of the tools by itself and function well is less than the whole thing...but expect some of the things to not work as well, it is good if some of the things work
something that can do multiple jobs well - still remington 870, with accessories
something that an expert would use for a specific purpose - usually accessories won't get it there, but purpose built, but then will not do other things as well...duck gun, slug gun, rabbit gun
something either expert or multiple jobs well plus artistic - a pretty duck gun
something historical
something that further emphasizes artistic at the cost of function - a pretty gun
something that is even more artistic and very decreased in function
something completely artistic, but doesn't meet criteria of art - a painted shovel
something completely artistic and a great piece of art - a painting or sculpture or film, etc