I always tell people that there should be little or no sanding to be
done when you're done with the spackling. Plasterers don't sand and
they still get a great finish. More technique and less technology does
the trick.

Let's be honest, us weekend DIYers are going to have to sand nearly
everything. We tape and mud once in a great while, maybe once in our
lives, and little skill is picked up in doing so.