Charging a Battery Bank

Let me ask this...Are all of the thoughts and recommendations about which battery brand, which battery type, which charger, what features it should have, what amp output and voltage etc., solar, traditional portable charger or deck mount.... really explaining to me your thoughts on how to get the most life out of the batteries (1-3 years vs. 6-7 years)? If it is, I'm having a hard time justifying spending a ton of money on all of these gadgets to make things better when I'll have $360 invested in a pair of Duracell batteries. Help me connect those dots. I mean, if I have to spend $360 every couple of years on batteries, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I spend more money than that at Tim Hortons every year!