Grinding without investing is what they are trying to disincentivize. I don’t know you from a fly on the wall but if you’re serious about the game, investing a bit of money in one way or the other besides the starter deck is a good way to go through things.
If you don’t have the money in fiat dollars to do it, spend more time on hive and earn it through commenting, posting and interacting with the community. Thousands of dollars of hive every single day are given out through votes and you could spend time earning some to help bolster your SL account. Just some thoughts for you, and ways that many others have done it.
Ultimately the game is one that requires you invest money into it every so often. Not every day or week but every few weeks or months, if you want to excel, you need to invest for its success.