A tool that feels helpful and a tool that is helpful are not the same thing. Enter the rough before-and-after numbers and the maintenance cost, and this nets out the real monthly value and sorts each tool into Star, Hobby, or Theater. The uncomfortable result is the useful one. Saved in your browser.
Tool
Gross value/mo
Cost + upkeep/mo
Net/mo
Verdict
Star: clear positive net, low upkeep. Hobby: small or break-even net. Theater: costs more than it returns, or eats more upkeep than it saves. A Theater tool is a candidate to fix, replace, or kill.