The overwhelming majority of "budget" studio monitors are nothing but home HiFi speakers with an ugly/industrial finish. The overwhelming majority of "budget" studio monitors are designed to sound 'great' on playback... just like a HiFi speaker is designed to sound 'great' on playback.
An actual studio monitor is far less flattering to your music than a HiFi speaker. For the most part, I wouldn't have any of the speakers I use for monitors in my home as they don't provide what I would like to hear in my home [an bit more open lower-midrange, a little extra top and a slight push on the low end].
Monitors are made to be "production" tools. HiFi speakers are made to be "reproduction" instruments. With a "production tool" the inverse of what you hear from the speakers is what will end up on your final product. In other words, if your monitors have a bit more open lower-midrange, a little extra top and a slight push on the low end... you'll end up with a bit of a clog in your lower mids, not quite enough bottom and a slightly dull top end on your product.
You only want to hear "X" amount of top/bottom and there is a limit to how scalloped you'll want your lower mids. If the speakers on which you're monitoring have a scalloped lower mid section you may very well add more lower mids than you'd like the product to have in order for it to sound right to you. If there is a bunch of top and bottom information coming from the speakers then you'll find that your product may turn out a bit 'dull' on the top and 'shallow' on the bottom.
You can get "used" to anything and learn to make "on the fly mental adjustments" once you get to know the anomalies of the speakers you're using for monitors.
My point is that most of the 'home HiFi' speakers you will encounter will be more than sufficient for your requirements when compared with things like Mackies or Genelcs or Behringers or Events, Tannoys, etc.
When/if you ever get really serious about checking out studio monitors the best way I've found to check them out is to bring them back to the studio. Do 3 or 4 mixes on them without any outside reference material [no playing CD's through them to see how your mix compares... no checking the mix on speakers with which you have a familiarity]... just trust what you hear from those monitors.
Then take those mixes out to like a HiFi store and pretend to be buying a new set of home speakers. If the midrange balances hold up on a bunch of different sets of speakers [like the guitars / keys / vocals all stay in their proper balance, one doesn't get louder than it should or softer than it should] and the top is clear, the lower mids are separated [and also hold their balance] and the bottom doesn't get crazy loud or too thin... then you've found yourself a good set of monitors for the way you work.
The first time I went "monitor hunting" it took about 4 years and 10-15 sets of monitors before I hit on the ones that worked best for the way I work. The last time I went through the process it took a little less than a year and only maybe half a dozen sets before I hit on a pair that was right for me.
Best of luck with your search!!!
[PS... believe none of what you read in terms of recommendations of monitors!!! We all work differently and need to hear different things from our monitors. There is a reason why I didn't mention what I use for monitors!! I didn't want to sway your thinking as to what might be good for your purposes or bad for your purposes... as for the earlier "Mackie, Genelec, etc." comment... take that with a grain of salt as I've watched and heard several of my friends make some pretty damn good major label releases with those speakers... it really does boil down to personal taste and where you need to be taken as an engineer. Peace.]
