returning player starting from scratch and scared

Money is easy to come by these days. You get gil rewards from pages. All the old basic crafting supplies are still in demand (beehive chips, silk thread, etc.) and crystal stacks sell well. And prices on most gear below 75 have fallen through the floor compared to what you were used to years ago.

Keeping your gear up to date is much less of a concern these days. With even some basic pieces being somewhat scarce and the fact that most people level in huge alliances and gain 10-20 levels in one sitting, the tendency these days is to power through the levels as fast as you can with whatever gear is available, and really spend time on your gear once you reach 99.