When did you encounter your first major "impedance mismatch" while coding?

I've always encountered a problem that looked like a nail to the hammer, and once I started wielding that hammer on said nail, I realized that I needed a screwdriver, and then I realized I needed a wrench, and then I realized I needed a hacksaw, and before I knew it, when I finally had finished with the nail, I realized I needed a screwdriver, hammer, wrench, saw, and a screwdriver. Once I passed that point and I looked back, I realized I jumped over a point I can only call the "impedance mismatch." This was the point where the problem didn't match the tool for the problem, and resulted in me using a 100x the effort, time, and money to achieve something that could have been done simpler with another tool. (Sometimes I'll call it the "impasse point" when faced with a problem, though I like impedance mismatch better) <br><br>Was there ever a time you encountered a problem and had to hit the "impedance mismatch" before you finally realized what was going on, or when you realized you needed to use a totally different tool? How long did it take you to realize it, and how much time did it take (and how much time did that cost you in the long run)