@coldclimate @mmeier
You got lots of good technical advice here, I just wanted to say something non-technical: don't worry about being or looking professional. Do what gives you pleasure, solve your problem, and won't bankrupt you. Keep in mind your risk factors: some people can tolerate more outages than others. Don't get caught on the hype or the exhibitionism.
The only things you should not compromise are security and backups.
And don't forget to have fun!