I have spent most of my years hunting on public lands and only a few years ago started managing private property for hunting. I rarely ever hunt public land anymore for deer since planting food plots on private land. Your first year will be the most expensive and the least productive. I suggest planting clover/ brassicas mix for the first year and spend the other money on the herbicides and fertilizer for future seasons. To me, spending the time working in my food plot and seeing the increase in deer and the health of the deer - more fawns, bigger bucks I say it is absolutely worth it. There are also off-brand name clover, turnip, soybeanand other foods that are alot less expensive and still produce well. Google clover seed or whatever and look around. Fruit trees are a great addition as well, Plant them once and spray them every year and they will repeatedly produce fruit. There are Arbor Day specials, google those trees as well to find the best price.