Anxiety: Do I trim investing, or 'pay myself back' for a large purchase?

I'm in a building phase with a new job after six months of unemployment. Retirement accounts are fully maxed. I never had to spend any of my six month emergency fund, but as I settle in I am throwing every spare cent I have to a taxable account to grow my EF to a full year. However...This is a self-made goal, with no deadline. I have some contact jobs that may only last a few more months, accordingly I'm saving every cent from them as a surplus and not changing my life budget around that income. So about 1200 a month extra, I'm shoveling that towards my EF. My main EF is in a HYSA, but this other portion is in a taxable account on index funds.

Now, here's the challenge. I teach archery part-time, but as a contractor instructor and not the business owner. I'm buying some equipment that I'll personally own so I can use it for outside teaching events as well as on our range. I managed to deal-hunt blemished versions from the nearby factory, so instead of $2500 I got it all for just about $1000. I used a credit card for points, then used money from a vacation fund to pay it off the next day.

My anxiety from the unemployment stint has me wanting to not hold up even a month on that EF funding. So, I have a crossroad to make as I set my monthly budget for 2025. Do I...

A: Pause a month of EF investing into the market, and spend that 1K to pay myself back for the equipment purchase. Resume shoveling money the next month. Least thought on this possible, but it's a thousand dollars that doesn't enter the market.

B: Take this slower like a loan, because I can't owe interest to myself. Pay myself back with monthly payments to that vacation account. I could do it 'quickly' with 250 a month, which keeps about 1K a month going towards me EF account. Or do I trim it even smaller and pay myself back a 100 at a time?

C: Get scrappy. Invest all my surplus as planned, do not plan for monthly payments...but earmark any side income or windfalls towards a 'debt' to myself until that 1K is paid off.

What all is at stake? The 1K lives in a HYSA making 3.8%. If invested, I'm just tossing it all into VTI and VTSAX every month. I don't 'need' that 1K in vacation savings anytime soon, I deposit 200 a month to it anyway.

Please just tell me what to do so I can get on with my life!