I am not new in Bitcoin, I have purchased BTC as low as $30 and as high as $18,000.00 and guess what I still HODL!
So to TMAN's rules of investing in BTC..
Work out how much you can spend each week and not give a shit about losing. some people like to gambool, others smoke, some love a fit prostitute.. whatever your vice, use that money for BTC..
Now Dollar cost average, if its $5 or $50,000 every week it doesn't matter if price goes up (you make money) goes down (you know you will get more BTC next week for the same money) or goes sideways (cool, stacking those BTC like a pimp running hoes)
HODL, JUST FUCKING HODL, DO NOT THINK YOU ARE THE SAGE OF FUCKING OMAHA, you cannot predict markets, you cannot day trade.. the only fucking thing you can do is HODL!
Do not check the market every 30 seconds, it doesn't matter.. you are in it for the long run and believe in BTC watching the market is something to do for fun.. Do not let it rule your life.
Only allocate a small % to alts.
This advise is from someone who has had HODL'd from $250-$50... $1200-$200 and $19,000 - $6,000. Guess what I am still smiling.. ignore this advice at your peril as you will 99/100 lose BTC if you don't..
So I just kepp HODling then. I don't have a vice but I have few money on my wallet I have been keeping this for almost a year. With your advice I am looking forward to HoDL and trade Bitcoin. one of the best thing about bitcoin is that whenever it is down it will always goes up again. thus making HODLers rich and as I observed, trading can make traders rich in minutes. but as you said, I don't want Bitcoin to take my life so I just allocate some portion of my time.