After years of dabbling in crypto, through the highs and lows, the profits and losses, the mistakes and the lessons learned, I finally feel a sense of satisfaction. Like many, I heard stories of overnight riches, and felt the need to get involved. Dog-themed coins and the odd euphoric state of owning 1,000,000,000,000 of something.. ANYTHING.. it all just lacked sense and clarity. It was gambling, pure and simple.
From my time in cryptocurrency the experiences of going through shitcoins and those that did somewhat well and missing out on pumps or buying at the peak, actually builds ones ability to hold when they eventually get into Bitcoin and not panic sell at the slightest fluctuation in price.
Although, Bitcoin is not a get rich quick scheme, many would argue it's not a get rich scheme at all, and understanding the potential of what you hold would enable you utilize it appropriately.
Did I stretch my budget to achieve this? Yes. Will I be OK personally if it goes to 0? Yes. This is a risk I am willing to take, and the more I learn, the more confident I am in my investment.
This part got me thinking about the difference between; "only invest spare money" and "invest amounts you can afford to lose".
Spare money in this case would be money you can easily do without and would likely not notice if it goes missing, but amounts you cannot afford to lose are those which is highly significant to you, such as loans or huge percentage of your net worth.
I believe the balance of how much to spend on bitcoins is somewhere in-between that; significant amounts, but those you can afford to lose.