Money invested in security has never been wasted, especially when it comes to crypto security. One of the most important features of HW is that the seed is generated in a completely secure offline environment, while in the case of any desktop/mobile wallet the seed can very easily be compromised if the computer or mobile device is infected. There is also the potential risk of fake wallets which should also not be ignored.

Considering all of this, I wouldn’t agree that $50 or less is an investment that can be called wasted.