In order to put together a quality budget system successfully, you have to be willing (a) to doggedly visit local thrift stores every few days, (b) to check out little used emporiums when you're on vacation in the hinterlands, (c) to read craigslist ads (and the local equivalent) every day, (d) to be prepared for quick trips into the middle of nowhere (a good GPS sometimes helps), (d) to be disappointed when an item is not "as advertised", (e) to interact with people and drive a bargain, if necessary, (f) to do enough research so that you can be relatively decisive about what's worth buying/pursuing and what's not....and so on. Also, you need a little luck from time to time.
I "get" that not everyone is into the above. And it can be time-consuming. Not everyone has the time for dogged pursuit and the less time you have, the more patient you have to be. It cost me only about $150 but almost two years to get my current office system to the point where I'm reasonably content with its performance.
For me, music is a hobby AND collecting and researching stereo gear is a hobby. Those whose focus is primarily the music will either have to make due with what they can afford to buy at the local audio shop -- or save their pennies until they can afford something better. However, having said that, I'll also say that if I added up all my equipment repairs, the cost of all the amps and speakers sitting in the garage that I can't or won't flip, the gas that i've used driving to remote areas to have a look at something purely on spec, the time that I've spent when I could have been doing something more "productive" -- then the cost advantage becomes a little more questionable.
But a hobby is its own reward.
