TobiGotGrenades

I apologize if I came across that way, and the assumptions were made because your original post lacked in essential details for my response to be somewhat helpful. Otherwise, your story/perspective/anecdote, at face value, didn't make sense to me. I didn't assume that everyone could afford guitar strings either. But if you can't afford a $4 dollar monthly expense, you've got bigger things to worry about, which to me seems reasonable enough of an explanation. 

It's obvious that I was wrong about you being a beginner, but I see your point overall.

What guitar strings you using? The case of your amp is unfortunate, but there's cheaper alternatives for guitar strings, some specifically made for beginners ergo they have a significantly lower price point. It seems to me you haven't changed your strings in years, which is already a no-go for most guitarists (ideal is a string change every 2 months or so, and that's being generous). Judging from what you've written, I'm also assuming that you're just starting out, cause as much as I understand being attached to your instrument, being crazy about rusted strings isn't something I've noticed in any guitar player I closely follow. 

Lastly, if you genuinely can't afford any brand of guitar strings, being able to play electric guitar is the last thing you should be worried about.