Colby, there's no denying that food just seems a little better cooked over charcoal. But if it's not for you, then it's not for you. Like chad suggested, look on CL for a deal be it an older genesis or maybe even a good deal on a Q. I probably grill 90 percent of the time on either my genesis or my Q-200 just because it is less time consuming and that fits our schedule better. Another suggestion would be to buy charcoal in bulk. ( if you have a place to store it.) it's a big hit initially, but that way you won't be affected by rising costs until you run out of your stash. Find which works for you, and enjoy, cause in the end, if you're not enjoying what you're doing, you won't be doing it very often..
Good luck,
Tim