Running expenditures (races Vs shoes Vs gear Vs tech) - eviltoast

How do you decide or prioritise what to spend on?

As a semi-experienced (10 years, 25+ marathons) amateur runner (4hr+ marathon), wanting to improve, I find this a deep dark rabbit hole my wallet is struggling to keep up.

My current expense ratios for this year:

Races: 2xtrail & 1xMarathon ~$175 (35%)

Shoes: 2xshoes ~$175 (35%)

Gear: socks & bottle ~$75 (15%)

Tech: Garmin HRM ~$80 (15%)

Next on my wishlist are

  • road shoes
  • running tights
  • replacing my 3year old Garmin
  • running cap/ sunglasses
  • a coach

As a sole breadwinner still wanting to pursue my passion of running ,any tips or philosophies to share to help a brother out?