Ok, I know this is one of the most predominant questions involving Wranglers, but I'm at a fork in the road (with MANY prongs)

I have a 1994 YJ with 2.5ltr 4cyl.
Now, I recently purchased the Performance Accessories Body Lift Kit (2") because it was the cheapest lift and, with 31x10.50 tires, I'm aching to get the fenders separated from them soon. However, I snapped to my senses and conjured up a little patience, so now I am determined to get the cheapest AND best lift I can get for my Jeep.
I am definitely a weekend warrior when it comes to trails and the Jeep sees mostly highway. As I said, I have 31's and, thanks to the 4cyl, I will probably not see anything bigger than a 32/33 at best, but that'll be a while, so I'm really only looking for 2-3" right now. I'm honestly not too concerned about the comfort because it already runs rough and, hey, I'm used to driving civics with coilover springs that are as low and tight as they can be, so ride quality takes a backseat to looks, durability and functionability.
I'd like to hear what you all think about body lifts, add-a-leaf lifts, shackle lifts, and SOA conversions. It is not feasible ANYTIME in the near future for me to do a full-on suspension lift, so, of those 3 choices, I'm curious to hear your opinions. However, I'm more intent on someone explaining the parameters of each.
For starters, as an example :
I know the body lift LITERALLY lifts the body off of the frame, chassis, and everything. I'm not too keen on the look of this lift alone, but, regardless, I've found that this entails quite a bit more fab-work than I have the capability of doing in my garage. And I'm not sure, at this point, that I feel up to going through the work to get that look. It may be worth it for me to do it a different way.
Now, the add-a-leaf kits, I understand that they usually hamper the ride quality (already touched on that), but for less than 300.00, it looks to be a contender for my liking.
Now, primarily what I want to know is : WHAT DOES A SHACKLE LIFT ENTAIL?? From what I can tell, you simply put bigger, heavier-duty shackles on and that lifts EVERYTHING off the springs/axles. Is this correct?? What about the driveshaft/drivetrain...does that need to be changed/modified?? Help me understand.
Then, there is the SOA. I've heard that it can have advserse effects on your stock springs, but then I've heard that that's only the case if you have a heavily-loaded vehicle.
Please, everyone, anyone, help me separate the fact from the fiction.
I REALLY need to make the right decision ultimately, both money and quality regarded.
Thanks guys.