I began to play poker and as a beginner I won a lot of things (it ever happens), so as more I learned more I lost. I really was concentrating all my energy on being a better player, but I was in a cicle with "Playing >> Losing >> Studying >> Playing...". After losing a lot of money and a lot of time a lot of times even having a reazonable knowledge about the game, I've decided in first place stoping to waste money, because of this I began to play freerolls (Free tournaments of poker). People that know freerolls are scared on playing them, they say that playing them is impossible because freeroll players use one of the most important weapons of poker: The agressivity, they are suicide agressive players level. But freerolls give to you for free the first trainning: The patience (it's a profit). The second thing is that you can earn real money without put money in the game, you earn cents most of times, when you earn off course, but is better than losing tens of dollars maybe hundreds, then my money began to reverse his flow. Now I play cheapper games but I am satisfied because I can hit my chest and say "I am a winner player".

It seems like the appropriate measure taken in order to spare your future earnings and give yourself a chance to scratch that itch and make some other investments in its place. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors OP