Don't Feel Guilty Spending $$$

Yeah, but at the same time, don't spend foolishly. Nothing worse than hearing a system that kicks the butt of your system and costs 1/4 the price.

My entire current system costs as much as my previous preamp alone and is the best sounding system I've personally ever heard.

Live and learn.

There are plenty of careers out there where your can work ~40 hours and make well into the 6 figures. I'm 30...

I just know that I would never, ever work 70-80 hours a week, even for 7 figs. My time is too valuable to me

People are at different points in their lives. Chronologically, family (or lack thereof)-wise, and career-wise. Everyone's gotta do what they've got to do. If I was single with no children and I could make 6 figures working 70-80 hours a week, I'd have done it and banked/invested as much as I could. There's something to be said about buying a house, getting ahead of the game retirement-wise, and having a good cushion for a rainy day before you settle down. Very few people have that opportunity.

I'd feel guilty if buying gear took money out of my family's pockets or took away from their needs. I have no guilt at all. Then again, some people here have a pair of interconnects that cost more than what I paid for my entire system. Not that I have a problem with people spending what they spend; it's not my money, and doesn't have any effect on my life.