Shopping for a Macro Lens

So laast weekend, I went shopping for a macro lens. I was so excited....like, SOOOOO excited!!! I couldn't wait to buy one (I have been wanting one since before Christmas) and even had my gift certificates all ready to hand over. I arrived at McBain Camera, walked in, and when the young gent asked if he could help me, I proudly said "yes, actually....I am looking for a macro lens." He pulled out their vast array of lenses (I almost had a heart attack of joy) and he asked my price range. I told him....he almost cringed. Apparently, I had slightly under-estimated the cost of those suckers, and while there was one that was in my price range, it was a lower quality lens, and I knew that while I COULD purchase that one today, I knew in the long run, I wasn't going to be as happy with it as the one that was 1 step up (and almost double the cost!) I was crushed.....like, REEEEEALLY crushed....I had been expecting to walk out with one and take lots of interesting photographs that evening. So I was grumpy for a couple hours, then decided that waiting was indeed the right decision. I would rather wait and save my pennies and spend it on a lens that I will be really happy with instead of settling for second best.