Most of my tool purchases, believe it or not, were AFTER I could have used them. For instance, I might struggle getting a job done with some tool I already have. Then when I am browsing some random tool aisle or catalog I see something that would have made that job easier, I buy it. Then I'll be ready for next time.
Now I do have what a non-GJ-member would consider "an inordinate amount of sockets". But, I have used something off each rack at some point. Have I used every size on every rack? No. I roll my eyes though when somebody condescendingly says "what do you need all this stuff for?". That just means that they have so little experience that they haven't needed that SPECIFIC tool, when no other would do. Where in my case, most of my tools were bought, not for the hell of it, but for a specific job (that I usually already did with the wrong tool once, lol).
For instance, I got tired of using a 3/8 socket + swivel adapter to get at a certain car's distributor hold-down. The socket was just a little too tall. I could engage the bolt and turn it, but it sure felt iffy (like I could round it off). So I bought a set of swivel sockets. Now it fits down on there nice, with full contact to the bolt. I have used the heck out of that swivel set.
My point, I guess is this- as long as you aren't going into debt or taking food out of your families mouth, buy whatever you want. Sure, you can fix 75% of the stuff out there with the Big Lots tool kit set in your mother's trunk, but the other 25% of the stuff calls for the other 99% of the tools in the world. If you don't know that, you just haven't tried to fix enough stuff
