lol, no one ever said this was a cheap hobby. If you want something your wallet won't complain about, try finger painting instead.
Seriously, a good charger can be considered an investment. If properly chosen and used right, it can be used for ALL charging needs; r/c use, your car battery, the slew of NiMHs used throughout the house, etc. The adaptor thingy is a neat little device to throw in your pit box to allow you to throw a pack on a NiMH-only charger in a pinch, but I wouldn't use it for primary charging.