Title text:
It's not as big a loss as it looks, because now I have have leftover supplies, which will help me talk myself into doing this all over again with a new project!
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3233/
I find that it really depends. Some contracted work mostly take specialised equipment, where the necessary skill is something you can pick up. The cost of the equipment is often (at entry level, but more than good enough for the task at hand) less than the show + a couple of hours.
You spent the whole weekend maybe. But you learned something new. Got some nice tools. And more often than not, did a better job because you didn't rush anything.