I like the bounce, but I accept the play of a worn-in string as well. Even in the “extreme” case of $36 a month, though, you don’t need to be a millionaire with a butler to afford that (yes, I know you were joking… but just saying, that’s not a tonne of money for a hobby). 
I probably go 1-2 hours on a Kitty or generic poly… and considerably longer than that on MOST “boutique” strings (there are exceptions). I have a few string types that play similarly to Kitty-type poly but still last 6 hours in my personal optimal play parameters. Then there are strings that just never seem to die (like Toxic Dragon), but I’ve never had an affinity for those. I’d rather just play and wear out strings that I enjoy.