Who else here is frugal?

Not at all. Some expensive things are worth the money. Some aren't. It only requires the intelligence to make the distinction.

I love spending big bucks on my system.

Good thread, Eric.  A lot of thoughtful posts here.  I particularly appreciate the posts by audiozenology and almarg.  I will say that a few years ago I realized that the quest for perfect sound reproduction is ultimately pointless, because whenever I attend a Symphony Concert I realize that no  home system could ever reproduce the sensation of being in a large hall .  Ultimately home listening is an illusion,albeit a potentially very satisfying one.  Different equipment highlight different aspects of that illusion.  Once a satisfying recipe is found, stick with it until your preferences change, but accept that reproduction of music is inherently limited.
  

When one of my non-audiophile friends had an idea of how much I spent on my music audio system, he referred to me as someone who had "more dollars than sense".

Of all the comments in this thread, this one hit home the most (to me):
"Nothing wrong with carefully spending your hard-earned money."

I have made lots of "investments" in my life, financial, marriage, our kids, our home, etc. and when I experience the joy of having an audio system that I really enjoy, I'll add that to the list of "money well spent".

The one thing I'd add...I have a relative who trades cars very frequently.  I don't remember him owning one for an entire year.  He's never "satisfied".  So no matter how much he spends, his "investment" never seems to pay off.

"Nothing wrong with carefully spending your hard-earned money."

Love this sentence.  I love supporting brick and mortar stores too.