You can't go by me because I had special treatment going through college in getting free books. But, if you were to buy the books, for the basic library, about $10-15,000. Now over time (over 15 years say) you could spend $1000 a year. What's that - $80 or so a month. That's not bad. Its miscellaneous money, or your allowance.
It took me about....oooooohhhh.........(thinking)..........(still thinking).......8 years to acquire them as they came out and I could afford them.
However, between free books at school, the books I have bought, books that have been given to me from my grandfather (who collected puritan works), etc. my advanced library runs about $50-60,000. If God wanted to punish me, he woudl burn down my house or flood it with water. That would be bad. Very, very bad. :shocked:
The advacned library runs about 3500 volumes (maybe a bit less). But basically religious books cost bucks. You either buy food or books, and so I buy books.
Remember too, I have been a pastor with "book expense." That is a wonderful perk.
So all in all one has to be choosey, they have to buy the best they can find (dont' waste your time with spending money on mediocrre books.) And master a few of them (not all of them). Five good books, or ten, on theology and the Christian life, mastered well, is better than a huge library that collects dust.
What is hard, is when you want to master them !!