I'm planning to have NEO before but I don't think that my budget would be sufficient to generate that profit that I want.
Neo is great, but depending on the price of Gas it does take a lot to earn anything significant. I'd say that Neo might be very undervalued right now, and it might be a good time to buy some. One advantage it has over other staking coins is that you don't have to leave the wallet running in order to stake. That's nice when you want to shut off your computer.
The part of your post I snipped was a statement about Eth, and I can't wait for it to become proof of stake. If and when that happens, I'll be more than willing to buy enough to start staking. The minimum number I've heard is 30 Eth, but I'm not sure if that's true or even decided yet.
I have staked some Reddcoin, but given that its price keeps dropping and its a coin that has an uncertain future I stopped. It was fun doing it but not really profitable. But I agree with op that staking is way better than mining. Less electricity, less work, and much easier.