I have had a 3d printer for a few years. Ender 5 pro for about $400. Made some descent stuff....but mostly it’s dollar store quality junk. Lot’s of consumables. Each spool of plastic costs $20+. Needs to replace nozzles, boden tube, adhesion plate several times adding another $250 in costs. It’s mostly a toy.
It depends largely on the projects that you choose and your interests. I designed a bolt on venturi attachment to use natural gas with our home generator. I have to admit that I went through quite a few prototypes before I was completely satisfied with my project, but it now works better and more efficiently than any commercially available product.
I have printed out plenty of thingiverse items many of which have not been very useful. They typically cost pennies to print out. I would remind you that a $20 1 KG roll of filament typically goes a long, long way. The nozzles for mine are very inexpensive, typically less than a dollar and last a long time. I replaced the adhesion plate with a piece of glass years ago for about $10. I understand that you have spent quite a bit on parts; I have not spent that much, but even if I had... it has definitely been one of my less expensive hobbies and has saved me quite a bit for specialty parts that I have made for drones, photography, cycling and other activities that I engage in.