Die cutting on a budget

There are so many die cutting machines on the market nowadays. Which one do you choose if you want to buy one, and why? There are so many things to consider, how much do I spend, how much will I use it and how many dies will I need/buy?
A couple of years ago I bought this.....

.....the original Sizzix machine. It was advertised in a local newspaper for £15.00. The lady who I bought it off was treating herself to a Cricut machine. This machine also came with extras....

...so I had something to practise with. Up to this point I had always cut out my own templates and shapes with either a craft knife or scissors.
My question to myself then was "Am I going to use this and what other dies will I need?" I didn't want to just buy them for the sake of it. They had to be ones which I would use time and time again.
A craft shop in Derby was closing and the owner was selling off all her stock. I bought these two dies....

.... for £4.00 each. These have been invaluable and are still used now.
A couple of months later I went on to the Sizzix website. From time to time they have reduced items and on this occasion there were quite a few for less than half price.....

....so hubby treated me to these. These have been used many times too, and still are.
Last summer I bought a new pair of cutting plates....

....these cost £3.99 with free postage on Ebay.
At the end of summer I thought I'd take a look on the Sizzix website again to see if there was anything which took my fancy and anything which was to be discontinued and reduced. Once again, they had to be dies which can be used in multiple ways. So I bought these...

.....the cost of these dies in total was just short of £27. I was a happy bunny.
A few days later I was browsing on Ebay and I won these little gems....

....my winning bid was £7.99 and I paid £3.50 postage.
Now all I needed was the cutting plates for the Sidekick....

.....as you can see from the label I paid £2.99 for them.
Last week I again went onto the Sizzix website. I still had some Christmas money which I hadn't spent. Here's what I bought...

....

....

...those 7 dies came to just under £26.00. I have chosen ones which will be versatile and give me a lot of mileage. I had looked on Ebay (again) before I bought these but the prices were higher and some were used ones.
I am really pleased with my haul and once the housework is done tomorrow I shall be sorting my papers and card, ( and fabrics) ready for some scrapbook pages and birthday cards.
I do love the nesting shapes and have been looking at the relevant dies. But I can't justify buying them. ( They are quite expensive) and I'm used to cutting those shapes with a template and knife. I use the method we were taught in school.
I shall regularly look out for dies, but only if I know I can get a lot of mileage out of them, and the price will have to be right.
Will I ever upgrade to a new machine? Maybe. I do like the Big Shot, in fact they all look good with some fabulous dies. But I shall never let this one go, it really is brilliant. There are bargains out there, if I look hard enough!