Finally they let me post on here... I learned the hard way and believe this post should be resurrected for newbs to the currency. Don't let the "coin" part of bitcoin fool you into thinking it's not worth much. On the other hand, realize that it is "coin". Just like giving a rare coin to a homeless guy on the street, you MAY never see it again if you make a mistake...
I think a reason bitcoin is so difficult to understand for newbies is because it's name is so misguiding. Bitcoin is not a coin. It is not a physical thing. You can't touch it or hold it. It acts like cash but it in no way resembles cash. It's simply numbers assigned to addresses and that's it.