i bought max and photoshop, it paid for itself in a couple months. the subscription that lets me keep using 2009 is an absurd $500 a year but that's not really a huge deal and you get the yearly $4000 releases for $500. granted, the yearly releases aren't usually worth downloading, and the "value added" programs and…
I remember when XSI had a $500 version that was perfect for freelancers. Modo is an awesome modeling tool for half as much, at $1,500. Zbrush has free upgrades, so it's definitely worth it. I'd also suggest never buying a new version of software until you've tried using it for the full 30 day trial. There's always Blender…
I actually just had this issue last weekend. The client required Max/ZB/PS files, so I couldn't skirt around the issue any longer and had to purchase full licenses of all 3. But to be honest it was the best decision I've ever made. I'm using a small business loan to pay for it, and like EQ said, I'm able to write it off on…