Has anyone tried beginner mistakes vs the alternatives [v4]

Spent the last few weekends digging into this and the deeper I go the more questions I have. For context, I am working with a pretty modest budget so high-end suggestions probably will not land.

Been thinking about this for a while and curious what the community thinks. For context, I am working with a pretty modest budget so high-end suggestions probably will not land. Mostly thinking out loud — feel free to push back hard.

This came up at a meetup recently and the room was split, so curious what the broader community thinks. Mostly thinking out loud — feel free to push back hard. Long-time lurker, first-time poster.