I've owned ALL of the above knives (German, Japanese, exotic high-carbon-only-can-buy-in-Japan-sushi-holy-grail-knives, etc.) and the one thing that makes the biggest difference day-to-day is my Chef's Choice electric sharpener on the countertop. I do a very quick light sharpening to my Henkels nearly every time I use them. The purists may complain that this will wear them down faster but I can only hope to live that long. I sharpen the exotic Japanese stuff by hand once a year, which is more than I actually use them.

The OP did mention a $$ limit. I suggest buying an Chef's Choice sharpener and a couple used German knives off Ebay (chef's knife and paring). Start with the once-a-year coarse setting to put a nice edge on them, then the finer settings and your good to go.