In the article, the author covers this, saying the technical facets of doing this were worth more than the money saved.

In other words, the author tallies the work and learning that went into this as a positive benefit, not a negative, as you may be alluding.

I think he enjoyed doing it, which is added value to one's life.

Yeah, I have a friend that spends hours a week planning this kind of stuff out. His hobby is putting together vacations from credit card points as cheaply as possible. TBH I think he actually enjoys the scheming part more than the actual trips.

My father still enjoys clipping coupons and views it as therapeutic. He also enjoys the act of saving a few dollars here and there because it gives him the same dopamine rush that it did when he those dollars were relatively important to his overall net-worth. To many of us, the act of saving money is more exciting than the money itself.

I can definitely relate to this. I've spent countless hours optimizing my groceries and trying to get them as low as possible. I could easily spend several times as much without much financial impact, but I enjoy it as a way to derive satisfaction and mindfulness from what's otherwise just a mundane and repetitive chore

I think the question is, if he didn't enjoy doing it, would it still be worth it, for examples for others that might view it as work

I'm the author of the post. I can confirm that I 100% enjoyed it.

I usually view such things as work, but thank you for giving me another perspective. Maybe next time I'll make it an enjoyable game.