As a "newbie" myself, I think that the info from this forum has allowed me to feel confident I'm getting the advice and knowledge about the right equipment to buy, whether expensive or not. In the long run, by listening to all the "gear talk", I actually save money by not going in the wrong direction with equipment. So with that saved money, I buy more ammo, and shoot more.
I haven't felt pushed to believe in the need of certain equipment as much as the possible benefits. It's true to say that the fancy stuff is not required and a luxury but it's also true that you can gain in performance with their addition.
I see that there are some things you need to participate with and there are some things that give you an edge. Its nice to have an edge. New shooters may be caught up in getting the edge more to bring them up faster.