I admire the work that the longarmers do on QB. It depend on how much time you want to spend quilting others people work? You need to do quite a few quilts to pay off the machine and then there is the wear and tear on your body. You sound like you're a youngster (kids at home) so it might be an opportunity to start getting ready for. Try out some machines, see if they have a payment plan or start saving up your pennies. Your job will look better if you are taking some of that money for your longarm fund.