Clearly the OP is paying MORE for the principal of not having a contract, which I would agree with except it does work out to being LESS money out with the current credit qualifying: The OP's route is MORE expensive. Now, add to that if he is stuck with Dish H3 and whatever boxes. It's going to cost him at least a little money to sell the Dish boxes even at ebay or just have to take a little less than he paid if on Craig's. If people can find it cheaper on line or on ebay, people aren't going to pay the OP so that he is whole. It will be a net LOSS as opposed to the credit qualifying proms EVEN IF HE PAY ETF!!! (as the OP loves triple exclamation marks !!!).
Since the only reason cited by the OP was not wanting to have a contract (presuming he has qualifying credit), then this is a prefect example of a personal desire (no contract) costing him MORE money that otherwise the case. That makes no sense!!! Yeah, if someone has a Dish ready residence or get the equipment for free or a super cheap price, and then they pay a local retailer for the install, then YEAH, going Flex or month to month with no contract can make sense. The whole point of the credit qualifying 12 or 24 month price lock (and the OP get NO PRICE lock on Flex?) is that it is LESS expensive than people paying for all the parts and labor themselves. Yes, you are on contract, but in this case taking into account all his costs that he cited, even if he pays the ETF, his is out LESS money than the way he wants to do it just to avoid a contract.
This is probably why something like 80+% of new small or personal businesses fail in the US each year. No business sense, or more accurately bad business decisions such as pursuing the MORE expensive, COSTLY path for some odd personal view when taking the contract, better business route is bottom line CHEAPER!!! The same people who buy the "special" of 2 loaves of bread for $3 even though they they saw the same loaves of bread priced yesterday at only $1 per loaf. Economists recognize this psychology and it is costly to the consumer but great profits for the seller using "value pricing."