You can do it on the cheap with CCRs and estate sales. My Kenwood HF unit was bought for $250, I made wire dipole antennas. I'm surrounded by Baofeng equipment as I type this. Total outlay for all of it probably on the order of $1000.

I do so want an Icom 7300, though.

I'm so jealous of the people that can see QO-100. Here I am in Canada checking my app for the birds to fly over, and people on the other side of the world can just point their antenna at it any time. :-/