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I'd say to start I'm going to want to stick to pretty small items since I'm going to have to start with uber basic stuff (i.e. how to create and combine shapes like cubes and spheres). I don't know that it's something I will want to pursue longterm as I may not enjoy it, so I'm definitely trying to consider the most cost-effective options without buying something that will break after 2 weeks of use.

If you need to learn basic CAD you don't need to print it and pay for electricity and plastic ;) check the gearbest.com 3d printers section, they probably have the lowest prices. I see for 150euro you can buy good reprap style printer.

Awesome, thanks for the help!!