Really, don't bother spending money on gear for yourself. You will win better gear than you can buy, including jewelry and weapons. Once you have the Battle Tower, money really isn't an issue. Just send your runner out for diamonds as often as you can and you can easily sell them for all the money available from all merchants in Orobas Fjords. It's so much more fun to win something than to buy it!
I don't agree with this, I often find some really good stuff from merchants. It's actually a good thing that they sell things worth using. If I can find it on my own, great, but often I can't. Also, they sell set and unique items which are the best items in the game.
