It's a good example and I think it generalizes. For instance, I'm capable of some minor repairs for appliances, but if some problem seems to be contained in the PCB and I can just replace it for $50 (or whatever) I'll just do that. I don't own an oscilloscope and only barely know how to use it--so yes, I'm sure I've spent $50 when I could have just desoldered some 25 cent part, but it's far more costly for me to learn how to diagnose and fix these sorts of problems than to just buy my way out.

I learned how to do one profession to a high standard and maybe aspects of some others to a lesser standard, but it's just smart to be mindful of how we want to spend our limited skill-development budget.