Great question!

Welp, I feel THE SAME way to you. When I really strip myself from the notion of "well, deadmau5 does it like this or that Tangerine Dream pad was like that" I make MY BEST music, because I don't have a goal or template. I just work with the tools I have pursuing a feeling that I have lived or imagine.
I think it is VERY important to have inspiration from plenty of places (and I mean ALL kinds of music, not only electronic), but not necessarily copy them. However, I find fantastic to take some of the ideas of my favorite musicians and give them my own twist.
For example, if I really like a supersaw that Tangerine Dream (I love that band) or some chords (no pun intended) that deadmau5 made on a modular synth, I try to reacreate them using my tools and stacking on effects, detuning them playing 7th major chords (iconic from jazz) listening to pianists like Carl Perkings, before adding a brutal growl that I heard from Kill The Noise and some off grid drums from old Zedd.
There will come a time where you listen to your work and say "well shit. This is MY sound." I think the key is to surround yourself with all kinds of music that you like (and that's important, listen to stuff you dig) and slowly but surely, you will unconciously store all this ideas and influences to one day drop in a song. "Hey, I could try this".
And with the samples/plugins/knowledge issue, I really like the notion of "wotk with what you've got". If you want more, you can always save money for a new plugin, or pay extra music classes. Or browse deeply online.
I think it is far better to experiment with a lot of stuff (from your DAW and outside) instead of going into kickasstorrents (RIP btw) and torrenting the nexus and sylenth just because EVERYONE uses it. As of now, my only two tools are harmless and the 3xosc which came with my copy of Fl, tools that guys that torrented the software would never discover. I'm sure Cubase, Logic, Reaper, Reason...all have hidden perks that few people use because few people experiment. You don't have to purchase the "ULTIMATE FAT BEATZ SAMPLES VOL.3". I find in page like 33 of google an insanely large zip of free old synth drum samples and some very clean acoustic samples. The combination of both is something weird but unique, while a lot of dudes prefer to layer overcompressed 808's. Which is not bad but a lot of people have done it already, so...meh

Just because that sausage fattener and the izotope makes the beats very very way more thumpier doesn't mean you can't make a great mix with a stock compressor and proper EQ. But we do need practice.
Good luck
