Welcome from VA!

Try smoking mild-med bodied cigars first. It seems like you are not ready for a full-bodied cigar. We don't want you to associate a good cigar with getting sick. Don Pepins are great cigars, but they definitely kick your butt if you aren't careful.

Money is definitely an issue when it comes to this hobby. I feel it's worth saving the money and getting a box of decent smokes than spending $2.50 for cheap cigars every week. That's just me though.

It seems like you are on the right path, and I hope you find the right cigars for you and share about your trials and errors with us here. The best part about getting into the cigar hobby is, TRYING all the different cigars out there. Just like the wine and liquor hobby, if you call those hobbies, too ;-).

Andrew