My toolkit is (almost) still in its wrapper.
I’ve spent the last two and a half years learning Blender in vanilla to make sure when I get a problem I can fix it, because I’ve learned from the ground up. I’ve enjoyed doing it that way. I could do it that way because time wasn’t a factor. I wasn’t in a rush to finish a model.
I’ve almost finished my learning curve, so I might look into using a few of the many of add-ons I’ve brought. Many I wished I hadn’t. The only add-on I’ve made a lot of use of lately is pack master. Worth every penny.
But I know you’re right. Add-ons are a help and can speed up your work flow. I just wish I knew what I know now about add-ons, I could have saved myself quite a few shekels.