Your relative investment is an indicator of dedication, but not the only one. I have known people that do not have large incomes but are fanatical about sound reproduction and dedicate enormous effort to achieving the best possible sound. They are as well.
On the other hand I know quite a few people that have huge investments in audio equipment and yet are definitely not audiophiles. It is a pursuit… something to do. Something to show off, to help them set them apart. Not a driving force and major source of joy. For most audiophiles, no one but family and close friends even know they are. Typically it is a solitary pursuit. But it has become “popular”.
But then I remember the term has always been controversial. I would be occasionally asked what other interests I had and I would respond I have an audio problem… the response would be oh, my husband or brother is an audiophile also… he has a Bose system. My blood pressure would rise and I had to contain anger and frustration… and not blurt out “that is not even remotely an audiophile system, that is a marketing scam”… and say, that’s nice.
On the other hand, English is a living language, maybe the definition is now much more all encompassing.
Should you be on Audiogon. If you enjoy it.