As a counterpoint to the other folks, I’ll note that I did a lot with my machines early on on the cheap, and one can manage quite a bit of work on a limited budget with some patience and care.
One thing which you may find of interest is the thread:
and please note that we have a standing offer — if you get stuck on a file or project send it in to us at support@carbide3d.com and we’ll do our best to walk through it with you.