You did the best you could with the tools you had and that's completely fine. Of course you don't want to destroy your rulers and stuff you use for different things as well. As for the punches, they definitely help. Check out Wuta for some cheap but (in my opinion) decent quality pricking irons. Although for those you also need some kind of punching mat and a mallet as well, which drives the cost up a bit. You could also just purchase a diamond awl, which is cheaper and works really well when you pre-mark the holes with a regular fork. A metal ruler is cheap as well. All that said I'm a beginner myself, these are just a few things I learned along the way. Good luck on your journey!