When is 'Good Enough' okay? (No-Budget Filmmaking)

Hey everyone, Simone here. I'm a 2nd AD mostly working on indie, truly no-budget projects. I've been reading a lot about best practices, things like the 3-2-1 backup rule for data and avoiding 'promised favors' in lieu of actual pay. And I get it, these are absolutely the gold standard for a reason.

But in our world, where we’re begging, borrowing, and doing everything on a shoestring, sometimes these ideals feel... well, ideal for someone else. I've been in situations where 2-1-0 is the best we can do for footage, or where getting that one location hinges on offering a future 'thank you' gig. It feels dirty, but it gets the film made.

So my question is this: In the raw, no-budget trenches, when is it pragmatically acceptable to deviate from these textbook 'best practices' without completely shooting yourself in the foot?