The similar-looking piece wastes time when hope keeps insisting it belongs.

Something that almost fits costs more than something that clearly does not. A piece that is obviously wrong gets put down in a second, while the near miss holds your attention, invites another try, and quietly eats an hour because you want it to work. The wanting is the expense, not the piece. That pattern shows up in jobs, flats, and people who are close to right.

Notice what you keep returning to and failing to make fit. Give it one honest attempt with fresh eyes, then set it down and look at what you have been ignoring.