Although i do understand your $$ dilemma, but there is a massive difference in your mindstate when out on the cruise.
Bigger softer wheels and a board thats obviously not really meant for kickflipping a 7 stair or backtailing your bench(although if so inclined it could be feasible) but the cruiser is for those days when your legs feel dead and the motivation to flip your board is less than 0.Yet you've finished season 5 of the office and theres no pot stickers to gorge yourself on, so you do the only thing you know, roll. Enjoying the simplest part of skateboarding,in it's purest form and free from the scrutiny your local park holds and void of that gnawing feeling of needing to film everything you do.
Get one,they tend to last forever and can be more fun than you'd ever imagine. Often times i find myself grabbing that to go roll around than my normal board.