Yeah, the appropriate situation based on your story is when Bitcoin price is still cheap and faucet site can give you 1000-5000 Satoshis for every minute, if you claim it for everyday you can make a good living if you hold it until now.

It's true security is the most important if you're want to invest in Bitcoin, because if you lose all of your Bitcoin, there's no company or assurance will refund your stolen coins. Hardware wallet is not that expensive, it's around $100.