I think I originally spent $220. If I could get just one ADV it would only take 10 weeks to pay off. I think I did. Although I needed another small order to get flavors to mix with what I got. I had my first order figured out with nicotine, VG and flavorings to make Xml of liquids. (Changing mg and bad flavors had that not work out as planned.)
I average around $1/30ml vs <$20/30ml. Then a long time of ordering nothing has me so far ahead I've stopped counting my vaping costs vs smoking costs. If I want something now I just buy it.
The problem I'm seeing with new DIY'ers now is thinking a recipe online means it will be good and not need any tweeking, so they take almost everything they have and make one huge first batch (>100ml). Of course it sucks and they're trying to save it so they're doubling and tripling that bad batch instead of trying to save a small portion of it to test. Pretty soon they end up with $20 or more worthy of dumping.

I'm a patient ager but wow!
I can't be constrained like that. Plus I seem to either go 5 or 2 flavors.
I'm going to start small on Liquid Amber when I try seeing what it pairs with. It's pretty strong as in distinct (but the normal FA trend of 3-5%).
I thought I had some recipes figured out but if they made it to my fingers I forgot to mark them new. I planned on 2% to keep it from being in front.
When I have mixed it I recall 4% being very in front of everything.
Plum sounds like a good mix with it.