You sound like my Barnsley supporting mates. Prior to Bamford signing for 7m, he was the most we've spent on a single player since 2001. Your record signing is 2.5m, similar to what your record signing has been since the glory PL years.
It's all very well saying you're on a shoe string budget, but you've made ridiculous fees on some of your sales in the last few years, Hogan, Gray. Forshaw, Woods yet your board seem reluctant to invest it to get to the PL. Your ground holds 12k? Ours is 40k. It's all relative to budgets, we would never be comparable. I'm sure you will be able to spend more when you go to your new home.
We haven't been able to compete financially for a number of years under Bates, Cellino and GFH. We are now being able to do so but the likes of Villa, Derby, Boro etc will still spend an absolute fortune on wages that we won't.