Right on - it is a good way to test a concept for some time, without suffering from high costs. If/when it catches up, it will be time to externalize. I did so

Right on - it is a good way to test a concept for some time, without suffering from high costs. If/when it catches up, it will be time to externalize. I did something similar (~ same costs) for a project that was a huge gamble - risky, but with excellent returns if it succeeded. Turns out it didn't work, which was the most predictable outcome, but I lost much less with home hosting that with dedicated hosting. Some people will say that's not trusting one's project. I disagree - like you allot time, you should allot a budget to any given project. It should succeed or fail within the given budget (which can always be adjusted depending on the situation) unless you want to go bankrupt for a bet that failed.