u/aerosteed

I've heard the saying "date your skis, marry your boots" many times. In a newish skier (beginner to intermediate). Most of the skis I'm seeing are around the $700-$900 range. I can't imagine "dating" a $700 item. That's about the same price as boots. How are y'all saying date your skis when they cost as much as the boots? Or does that saying mean I should always rent skis?

EDIT: Thanks for all the input. Summary is that I should buy used. Another way to go is to demo a few skis on the mountain till I find ones I like and then buy them. I'm pretty new to this so I want skis that aren't expensive but good enough for me to learn. Once I'm better and can actually tell the difference I'll go the demo route.