Kill joy lol!
I love numbers, give me every bit of information I can get my hands on. I'll weigh the relevance of the numbers based on their own qualities.
I kind of get a kick out of you saying less money is the direction you want to go in when you have a powermodule light, a couple tunzes, and a BK mini 180. That's not cheap equipment.
I do agree with you that good husbandry tops all. Husbandry alone can replace the need for the majority of the equipment found in our tanks. You wouldn't need a skimmer, fuge, or Ca reactor in your system if you just kept up with frequent water changes. The equipment you have chosen allows for you to stretch that period out a little by removing impurities, adding elements, etc.
In my case, I am away from my system up to a month at a time. Being able to keep a watchful eye on parameters from afar is important to me. I can only ask my wife to test the tank so many times before she gets annoyed
All in all, everyone runs their system how they feel best.