I'm still new to all of this bitcoin stuff, but I've been looking at maybe getting some cheaper equipment to do some basic mining cause it doesn't require constant attention.
While electricity costs are important, and I know faster is generally better, what numbers in terms of hashrate power would be recommended for a reasonable return? and something that would be relatively cheap. If I spend $100 on some USB miners and join a pool so that I'm getting steady progress rather than only getting paid if I find a new block, is it going to take a month or two to get my investment back, or is it going to take closer to a year while the difficulty continues to climb out of reach of newer participants?
I'm not looking for something that would make a lot, I'd be fine with gaining even a small profit.