Well said!!!!!!!! Totally true!I'm sure that there are many doctors, lawyers and engineers that have big beautiful tanks. I would bet they also have maintenance contracts. To me half the pleasure of owning a reef tank is building it up and watching it grow and thrive, you don't need a huge budget for that.
Build it gradually, save for what you want and buy during sales.
Try not to buy on credit, what you save on finance charges can go to purchase what you really need. We all need to have charge cards even if we pay them off at the end of the month, get a rewards card that gives you cash back, you'll be surprised how quickly that can add up.
I recently read, "social comparison is the thief of happiness. You could spend a lifetime worrying about what others have, but it wouldn't get you anything". Make whatever you have beautiful for you.