Adobe just like Autodesk spent the very lax regulations of the last decade and bought up all the competition so their prices went waaaaaaay up. So there's the free programs that are not as powerful or as easy to use. Or you can save for those programs. I would recommend while saving up take community college course in Photoshop and any other program you are interested in buying. I got lucky and had a car slam into mine going fifty while I was waiting at the light and I got a big settlement. Otherwise I would still be using Bryce.

"But I being poor, have only my dreams. I place my dreams at your feet. Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." --William Yeats