One of the reasons I started this thread was for those folks new to reloading and casting. They are inundated with recommendations and some advice comes from people who have little experience...then there are those that have 1 years of experience 30 times over.
People starting out do not know if they will stay with the hobby and most tend to start "small" like many of us did. Some drop out and some continue to develop. Equipment is rarely the relevant factor in making ammunition better and less expensive than store bought.
Also, for the new crop of reloaders and casters, bear in mind we did not have the internet or forums like this. The upside is that we learned from books and magazine articles or by "just doing it". The downside is we did not have a resource like this forum....which is one of the best you can come to for advice if you know who to listen to.
Use the vast knowledge here wisely. Many talented folks have travelled the road you are starting.
My personal experience is to purchase the best equipment you can afford. You can see from this thread it will last a lifetime and even if you decide to drop out, it will retain its value and you lose very little if you sell it. But if you stay in the hobby, you have the pleasure of using a fine tool for decades. Lastly, steer clear of unproven equipment. Many folks got burned by the Lee Pro1000 and I got burned by the RCBS Green Machine. Even good companies can put out junk. And junk is not fun to use.
I have been at this for almost 45 years and I could never have developed as a shooter without reloading and casting as skill sets. Except for that damn Green Machine, and a few gimmicks that were less than $100, I have no regrets about the thousands of $$$ I have invested over the years.
Enjoy your journey...it is yours...not mine or someone else's. The precision shooter will travel a different path than an IPSC competitor. As will the person who produces less 2000 rounds a year.