I didn't mind the store...it's just a bit tough when you are first starting out. Once you start building up some cash, you can start to gather some decent weapons/consumables.....I never paid for any of the packs tho since you can basically get stuff for free by just playing the game itself. I know some folks stated to support Bioware, but I did that when I purchased the game at full price (twice..my first game cracked).
And even if you choose to purchase from the store using cash, it's pretty cheap.....it's a grind, but the store ensures you play the game for a while.