I'd like to ask the users here about how you got started in bitcoins and how you acquire bitcoins.
So the two questions are:
1. When you started, did you MINE or did you BUY bitcons?
2. If you are a regular user of bitcoins currently, do you MINE or do you BUY bitcoins?
To start off the discussion, I can only answer question 1. I mined bitcoins when I started. Then I bought and sold bitcoins through an exchange.
I cannot answer question 2 because I'm no longer a regular user of bitcions.
1. buy, I started my bitcoin investment in March of 2013, at that time, mining rigs cost a lot of money, avalon mining rigs were ridiculous expensive in 2013. It cost over 3000 USD. BFL mining rigs were scam and didn't ship machines at all.
2. still buy, mining is too difficult, can't get the principal back, especially difficulty is extremely high and mining rigs are extremely expensive. I could mine a tiny amount of btc.
In conclusion, I never mine btc, it is a tough job, I am an investor, that's why I buy btc instead of mining.