Another voice of “reason” here, echoing much of the above.

If you are “broke”, then my tip is simply “don’t buy yet”. Pinball is supposed to be FUN above all else; if it requires that you do ANYTHING to the detriment of youself or your family, it will strip some of the joy out of the experience and it won’t be worth it in the end (plus you’ll end up burning out on pinball, which is a little tragic - believe me, I’ve seen it in pinball and elsewhere).

Do not go into debt and do not forego other obligations or priorities either. Don’t sacrifice a needed home improvement expenditure or compromise your family’s vacation plans to save bucks for pinball, for example.

The fact that you took the time to write a well-worded question and seek advice here indicates that you are a mature, sensible person; as such, you probably experience some anxiety and second-guessing when you make potentially significant choices such as spending a chunk of cash on something nonessential - it’s simply in your nature to do the responsible thing. Therefore you’ll never really be happy with any pinball (or other hobby/toy) expenditure if you betray this and allow any weight to remain attached, such as financial debt or guilt due neglecting some other higher priority aspect of your life.

All that being said, there is some great practical strategies and advice in most of the posts above mine, any of which could lead to a game in your house with minimal risk or painful sacrifice. (Pinnyhead, vid, PinsideTroll, and xsvtoys in particular are 100% speaking the truth!)