When Should I Spend Money on a Tool or Service?

Russ has a question about starting his online business. He tends to find a lot of free or open-source tools, rather than spending money where he doesn’t have to. At what point is it best to spend money on a tool, rather than finding a cost-free solution? Russ' site is http://russkahle.com. Do you have a question about starting an online business? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Today’s sponsor is FreshBooks. Go to http://www.freshbooks.com/askpat and enter “Ask Pat” in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.