Free: Contests & Raffles.
I know a lot of people don't understand good glass. I started with a pair of redfield 10x50's. Loved them. But my dad talked me into buying a pair of 10x42 wind river olympics. When I first got them I didn't think that I could really tell that big of difference between them. But after a month of looking through nothing but the wind rivers I looked through the redfields and was in shock at how crappy the redfields were. Couple years after I bought the wind rivers I bought some gold rings. Same thing didn't think they were any better than the wind rivers but after a month looked through the wind rivers again and couldn't believe the difference. The next year I bought a pair of swarovski 10x50's slc's. Again it was the same thing. Couple years later I bought a pair of 10x42's swarovski el's. And it wasn't a big difference but it there was a difference. My point is until you look through good glass for a while you have no idea want you're missing. And I can't explain it to you.
But you will in the morning and the evening when it counts.
Your point is well taken, and you should not be attempting a shot where you cannot clearly see the animal. However, binoculars may allow you to see animals that you might not see with your naked eye, but once you get closer you will.Also, in the morning it's the opposite with light increasing: if you see something through binoculars first, you can stalk the animal and wait for daylight. I consider binoculars one of my most important pieces of gear.