I compare how much I've spent on guitars (which has been surprisingly small given the return on the ones I've sold) and it is *far* less than a speedboat, a vintage muscle car, or even the car I'm currently driving would cost new. Hell, my buddy has spent more on his snowmobiles than I have in guitars. These are all fair things to spend money on.
If you earn a living, you should have some say in what the "living" part means.