“Consumables” do start to add up... and then “extras” of which Wildwood speaks have a bigger impact. The bars and saddle are typically the biggest offenders, but those are “touch points” and I can easily rationalize those for all-day comfort.
I would try to say this is a parts “low cost parts bin build,” but then those parts made their way into the bin somehow...
I also typically have a specific goal in mind for each build: each bike typically has a specific purpose (but there are there are at least 50 shades of gray).
And what is this “flipping” thing people are referring to? Does that involve selling a bike??