That sounds like a “penny wise, pound foolish” strategy.
Either way, you are paying for resources, be it time, labor, or cash. You can always get more cash, but time is a finite resource, once spent it is gone forever.
What matters is profit.
Which way generates you the most profit?
I will gladly spend $20 million to get back $50 million. There is no way you can spend $20 million of your time to get back $50 million in cash if you are limiting yourself to just what you can personally accomplish with your own time and labor. Besides, you will not be helping out your fellow man by providing jobs. Think bigger act bigger accomplish more.