Frank, you know what's even worse than magazines for pulling money out of your pocket??? NEVER EVER EVER go browsing in camera stores with a fellow photography buddy! It's a funfest of "ooooo, look at this, oh yeah, I could use that". I've worked hard all my life and banked it so money is no longer a worry for me (trust me, I've paid my dues!) but looking at the corner of the kitchen where my gear is stashed, and that's a whole new truck, or a flashy piece of blingbling (I'm a devoted fan of diamonds), or a renovated kitchen sitting there quietly.
Yes, we look at other pictures, or even re-read photography magazines and books and think "yeah, I could get that shot if I only had 'x' " I've got no kids so now I've even got friends who say "if you croak, I want your equipment" *LMAO*
Yes, photography is a lust, a demon that dwells within, it consumes us and we view everything in the world in pictures now. My house used to be cleaner, my hobbies were more varied, my chores were all caught up and then photography happened! And it's not just lens lust, it's also monitor lust - 'gotta see 'em bigger' so you lash out the big bucks for a 23". It's card lust - pop in a new card and you drool when the LCD reads "220" pictures to go and you think 'yeahhhh, let's do some serious shooting. Ready, set, go!' Why, oh why did we ever subject ourselves to this thoughtless master called Photography.... *LOL*