On the one hand, free software like GIMP is great for the price you pay, but the difference is night and day compared to a program like Photoshop. If you're really intent on using GIMP you can probably get the same amount of utility as Photoshop but Photoshop's ease of use and UI is simply better. I see it as a tradeoff of between time and price. You can get GIMP for free and take time trudging through the subpar UI or pay a premium for Photoshop and get everything working more quickly and with less effort
