And I'm sure you actually did things. What I'm trying to say is that the act of rolling means that there is some narrative value in that event occurring, and similar value in both success or failure. The potential is there for something interesting to happen. Getting someone else to do it means that there is no potential for something interesting to happen, because you are not there. If it's unimportant for you to be there, then it's probably unnecessary for you to roll/hire someone/make a ritual.
I think I get what you are saying, though I fear you may be painting in strokes far more broad than you perhaps actually intend.
All things being equal, spending X shifts of Thaumaturgy on a ward isn't wholly a waste: it is done for relative peace of mind when the character is away, and it definitely comes into play if the character is actually protected by the wards.
Spending another Y shifts on an AI construct to patrol your home may seem, from a certain point of view, like unentertaining task delegation, or unnecessary complication. And if a scene happens without the player's presence, that may be true. But if the scene includes the player, it isn't a waste then is it? And if the player isn't physically there, the player could ostensibly play the AI as it tries to defend the home.
Ultimately, if a character wants to do X, it is because they feel X would be entertaining and/or useful to the plot.