Startup costs can be expensive but it is definitely worth it considering you can resell the GPUs later for 75% resale value.
this was absolutely my first thoughts when I got into this...if my 7970s are only producing about $5 per day (they aren't, they are making more then that atm) you're only looking at a month to break even assuming it all tanks and you have to unload the hardware you bought.
So if my risks are mine for a month and loose a bit of time in the learning curve plus reselling the hardware, it was worth it for the experience. If the market continues where it's at or goes up, you'll be sitting pretty well with your mining hardware already on it's way to being paid off.
However, it is unlikely to be profitable to mine using your own electricity unless you have access to free electricity(Work/School).
I've seen this argument SOOO many times before. I understand that I pay less then the average for electricity (.07 per kWh), even if it was quadruple that, which I'm making an uneducated guess is the upper limit of what most people pay, I would still be profitable by quite a bit with the current difficulty and prices in the various altcoin markets.
Just as long as what you put into it is in fact something you are willing to loose completely, I'd say go for it for the learning experience and just so you can be a part of something fascinating. I'd much rather have my money in my mining rigs right now then in a mutual fund or something else much less intellectually stimulating.