@Margarettt well done on working out what works for you and what makes it all sustainable for you - that's the important bit as it's not a diet but a way of life. When I started out keto\low carb 7 years ago there were hardly any keto products out there at all - now there's a proliferation and think now it's more being savvy about which ones suit you best in taste and quality. Low carb ingredients are pricey so better subs are usually pricey too. I remember the first time I bought a box of 8 good quality keto cakes from a low carb bakery and couldn't believe the price and size of them when compared to supermarket cake products but then I tried one and although small it really did fill me up unlike when used to have for example a cream cake where one would lead to two..... So yes they are expensive but you really don't need as much. Plus as others say this way of eating can work out not as expensive as we feared as we may eat less overall feeling more satisfied.
When starting out I did loads of baking experiments and wasted expensive ingredients often! These days I've worked out it's cheaper for me to buy quality subs especially for bread and seeded crackers and I prefer how they taste too! I am going to experiment again with low carb baking but in a limited fun way.
Working out what works for you is the key and I for one am delighted that we now have access to subs. Only caveat I would add is buyer beware if it says healthy keto check out that ingredients list! Some people find they are more reactive or less tolerant to certain sweeteners or added fibre and others like me give them a wide berth if they have a long list of ingredients such as emulsifiers.
Agree with you too about the Forum it's been my lifeline over last seven years and I count members here as very special friends.