You may or may not really save time doing that. The problem is that you understand things so much faster when you use them, or at least you do when your brain works like mine. So yes, you will rewrite things when you discover better ways, but you won't spend time scratching your head, not really getting it.
If at the end of a project, I don't know anything that I didn't at the beginning -- if I would have done it all the same way -- then it's a sure sign I didn't learn anything, and that's a bad thing.
Warning: Unless otherwise stated, code is untested. Do not use without understanding. Code is posted in the hopes it is useful, but without warranty. All copyrights are relinquished into the public domain unless otherwise stated. I am not an angel. I am capable of error, and err on a fairly regular basis. If I made a mistake, please let me know (such as by replying to this node).