I really have no qualms about buying an ebook that falls within the same range as a new paperback--and since I used to buy about 90% of my PBs used, that means I'm actually spending more than I did before.
I also have no qualms about spending more than PB price to get an ebook delivered at midnight on the day of release for certain authors...(just sixteen more days until the next J.D. Robb). These are the types of authors I would have gladly bought in hardcover the minute Barnes & Noble had a copy available--not because I preferred the HC, but because I wanted to read them right away. And the discount usually available on those new release HCs brings the price to just about or just above what I now pay for the ebook version.
Worst of all, I've discovered so many new-to-me authors from the Big Six through ebooks (both promotions and word of mouth) that I'm probably buying more books than ever. That "first in the series free for a limited time only" thing was sheer brilliance on the part of the marketing guru who came up with it. It's not "free" when I then end up buying all the rest of the books in the series...and then discover even more authors based on recommendations from others who also loved this one!
So while some of you may have become parsimonious/frugal/cheap on that front, not everyone has.