Totally get the "bitter brews" thing, that was me for ages. Saw a video once where a barista said a scale is the cheapest way to level up because coffee is so sensitive to dose. It's not overkill if you want it to taste the same every day, but you can make a decent cup without one if you're not stressing about it.
Oh man, I was the same way! I always thought scales were just for people way too into it. But then I tried using one for a week and it was crazy how much more consistent my morning cup got. No more guessing with the spoon, just the same good taste every time. It really changed my mind.
My buddy was the same way with his espresso setup. He'd measure with a spoon for months and always complained about inconsistent pulls. Then he got a ten dollar scale off Amazon and his shots leveled out instantly. It's like how people buy expensive kitchen knives but still eyeball measurements when baking bread. You can have all the fancy gear in the world but skipping one basic tool messes everything up. Same thing with grilling - people spend hundreds on a smoker but use a cheap stem thermometer that's off by twenty degrees. A scale for coffee is just that one cheap fix that changes the whole outcome.