First grow- really need some help

for the past week i have been researching every day and i keep on changing my method. im not looking to spend more than 400 dollars to get things started. i was thinking hydro, but everyone recommends u get the PH and EC meter, which costs around ~$100. The HPS bulb, socket, and ballast come out to be at least ~$200. i was going to use the drip system that the green dude on the infamous youtube videos "how to grow green." but the large resovoir would not fit in room ( you need to crawl to get in, but then turns out to be about 6 feet tall ). so i am thinknig about returning the water pump and other drip supplies i bought, and switching to bubble bucket hydro, 5 gallon buckets sure would fit through. Then ill needs nutes, grow rocks, the grow blocks. i have searched and searched and i plan on going to garden state hydroponics to pick up stuff for a pure hydro system.

OR

just drop some money on nice lights, and grow plants in soil. without dropping money on an air pump ( ~$50) and meter ( ~$100). ill still get the nutes for the vegetative period and budding

by the way i plan on using LST and read up on numerous guides on how to do it.

My questions:

i was also thinking if i had hydro i would need LESS plants meaning less light? i may be wrong but that seems right to me.

would 2 LST bubble bucket hydro yield more than 6 LST soil grown plants grown in the same enviornment?

Would one 400W HPS light be eneough for the hydro plants during their budding season ?

how do you think the hydro would yield if i didnt have a PH test meter/EC meter and just mixed everything very carefully?

ahh i am so confused thank u for your help and reading