I'll tell you what a USMC armorer told me -
Along with your "Less is more" theme -
You can pay a little more, or you can get the Springfield M1A loaded and get alot less.
And especially if you ever plan on using the rifle for copmpetition, consider this re :the loaded package:
1. The barrels are sub-par. The stainless is better than the standard, but they BOTH are junk compared to a Krieger, or even a Douglas.
2. The trigger group is in a cast housing. Which means the housing is subject to flex and distortion, which is NOT good for accuracy.
3. The receiver is single lugged. All compoetition M1A's are double lugged receivers.
4. The gas cylinder is not match quality.
5. There's only so much tuning you can do with the trigger itself in the Springfield loaded package. You indicated you like nice triggers. This is NOT such a trigger.
6. You WILL end up replacing the walnut stock, for either a palm swell match walnut, or a fiberglass Macmillan or equivalent.
Keep in mind, if you are just looking for an occasional shooter, the above prolly won't matter to you.
But I made the mistake of getting the loaded package, thinking I'd never compete with it.
Guess what? I use it in competitions now.
Always plan for the future, not just for today.
My advice? Get you a double lugged receiver, and a Krieger or Douglas barrel, and build up from there, based on your needs.