Gear should match your format, not your wish list. Buy to remove a specific bottleneck: bad audio, shaky footage, or slow editing.
External microphone (lav or USB condenser), stable lighting (key light or window + reflector), tripod or mount, and backup SD cards or storage.
Modern phones are enough for talking-head and B-roll. Dedicated cameras matter for low light, lens choice, or client-grade image. Upgrade when you know which spec you need.
Prioritize RAM and SSD over GPU for 1080p workflows. Proxy editing helps laptops handle 4K until you truly need full-res timelines.
One upgrade per quarter. Test each purchase against a metric: less re-recording, faster export, or clearer audio on headphones.