The price tag is rarely the entire price.

What you pay in money is the visible portion. There is also the time to learn it, the space to keep it, the attention to maintain it, and the obligations it quietly creates. Cheap things with long tails often cost more over a year than expensive things that simply work.

When considering a purchase or a commitment, add the tail. How much of your week does this want, forever. That number changes more decisions than the price ever does.