Hey Erika,
I'm an average guy looking to get a new camera. While searching the forums for a D700 I read your thread and couldn't help but relate. I was a student once, madly in love with photography, but like you didn't have a budget for a camera.
At that point of time, digital cameras still used floppy disks ^.^
Burning through heaps of film, I realised that photography was more than the gear you use. And I agree with the folk in this forum that the joy you get from the click of a shutter can't be expressed in dollars. Let me tell you why at this age and time I am looking for a d700.
Entry levels in photography are lowering at a really fast pace, and in all the rush, a lot of people tend to miss out on the beauty of how photography got to where it is today. In the past, cameras were built to last, were aesthetically designed, and had the spirit of photography etched at the very heart of the camera. And for that reason, people became attached to their beloved camera.
For me, I have become so attached to the Nikon line-up that makes it very hard to change systems. And having gone through a lot of actuations on a d70, it still is the best I've ever had. Throughout the years, I've gone through many frustrations, excitement, joy, and wonder with the camera, it came to a point that I connected with the camera. You can say there is history. Hold it up to your eyes, and flashbacks of memorable events rush through your mind in mixed emotions. Then you think to yourself, "Hey, I remember when I took her beautiful smile it made me feel great!"
It's history, it happened man.
Forget about Mpxls; forget about technology for a sec. Find out which camera connects to you more. And once you do that, you will make peace with your purchase. Doesn't have to be new, it just has to feel right by you.
All the best!
Wiwin