If you’re wondering, because it doesn’t sound like I’ve actually spent much money yet, yeah, I’m generally quite frugal. I’m mostly just intimidated by all the options to spend money.
But well, my setup is:
Laptop running Linux (that already rules out buying most VST plugins, as those are often Windows-only).
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 560S (←only real money, I’ve spent so far)
For a DAW, I’ve been dabbling with LMMS. Felt more approachable to me than Ardour. I also enjoy dicking around with Surge-XT as one quite powerful VST/LV2 plugin.
I’m a traditionally trained musician, so I also enjoy creating electronic music via sheet music. And me being a programmer/weirdo, I like Lilypond for that (basically LaTeX for sheet music), despite it not being built for that…