The hobby is what you make of it, so if you don't want to sink a ton into it, then you can do that. We got our tech licenses last fall and got our feet with with just some 2m radios. Theres not a lot of money needed to get into that part. Whenever or if ever you decide to go HF, thats where it can become bottomless, but not always. Once you get the hang of things, and get over any jitters, you'll be more then happy to get involved.