Hnestly I have tried some of the magic solutions you have listed just for fun, and for me they are an attempt at canned solutions that just don't work in all cases. I even hate the stupid extract tool in Photoshop, because it guises itself as an "easy solution" when t really is not. It's a reall pain in the butt for me, a lot of window dressing. I tried it twice and have not used it since.
I have been doing masking and composites since Photoshop 5. You don't need the fancy stuff and instant wizards for composites, you just need a thorough knowledge of your tools and how to apply them. Without learning how to use Photoshop properly, then yes, the money is wasted.
In the long run, you will waste more money on the supposed instant or easy solutions, becasue in the hands of inexperience, none of them will be satisfactory, and you are likely to hop from one to the next.