I don't disagree that this hobby can be expensive. But like any other hobby, you can go as far as you want to go.
I think the bare minimum.
Extract brewing 1 gallon ~$45
You need a stock pot. Preferably 8qt or more.
1 Gallon glass jug
12 Bottles
oz/g scale
Airlock
Sanitizer
Siphon
3/8" Tubing
Bottling Wand/filler
Bottle capper
Caps
Extract 5 Gal maybe another $60-$80 depending on stock pot
20qt or more Stock pot
Note: you will want to top up for water for quick chill to start or get a larger kettle and an immersion chiller
6.5 Gallon Bucket
everything mention above and 52ish bottles.
Moving up to partial mashing or all grain is when you get into an investment on equipment. A grain mill is def a purchase and should last you most of your brewing hobby. However, I had no problems letting my homebrew shop mill my grains. It wasn't until I wanted to start competitions that I bought my own. I still enjoyed my brews.
I started my first batch with around $65 all in with ingredients, but I saved bottles for a couple months and had a 20qt stock pot and topped up my fermentation vessel.
I walked away with
3/8" High temp tubing
Triple scale Hydrometer
An Auto siphon
A Partial mash Dunkelweizen
Then picked up 5# of ice, 5 gallons of RO. That batch was good, not delicious but good! Add the fact that it was exciting and fun to make, that's all I needed to go full force into the hobby.