Gypsy, I know what you say is true, I know it inside of me without even having an hid setup. Every serious grow I've seen, through pics, I've never actually seen one in person, is using hid. Doesn't that really say it all? But a grand, you really now how to make a person cringe. Didn't you read the poor working slob part?
I know man...
I almost didn't open my mouth...
But it was exactly the "poor working slob" part that gave the incentive to write...
Being a working stiff is all the more reason, if not the main one, for having the most efficient set up...
Think of it in terms of value...
If you can produce 1 gram of smoke-able bud per watt (read dollars) burned...
You have a much "cheaper" or "budget" bud production that if you are producing 0.3 grams per watt...
Each gram of bud, forever, will be cheaper to produce...
And since we (hopefully) only buy our equipment once (if you planned).. and the harvests will keep coming for years and years...
You can see how quickly the op pays for the equipment and extra electric consumption...
If you really are on a budget..
If you really are a working stiff...
Shouldn't you be concentrating on producing the best quality at the lowest cost...?
Think about it...
Now...
I know we want to grow now.. and we do...
I vote for minor tweaks on your current op until you can you take the next step... and make it the last step ever...
Try the same grow a few more times... experiment with it..
Try to raise your yield using the same light...
Then, when the time comes, apply all of this newly gained knowledge to your new grow...
But that's just me...
I like dank and I like to be able to produce it at as low a cost to me as possible...
I will not blame you if you tell me you're not into it...
It's a lot of money...
But I get scared and pissed just thinking of how much I have spent on shy bags of shwagg...
So it really seems like the best idea again... regardless of the initial set-up cost...
Get a piggy bank...
or buy one piece at a time...
Just be sure that you have a complete package deal on a system (even if it's a DIY project) and a method BEFORE you spend a single cent...
Cheers Bro..!!!
I wish all the best whatever route you choose!!!