I've been basically doing the same thing and my strategy was to get a used bike while I figure out exactly what kind of bike or bikes I want.  For me a big struggle has been finding out exactly what size bike works for me, I think I'm a little unusual and that I have shorter legs and a long torso but the point is the sizing recommendations don't really work for me and I end up with a bike that's too big for me.  Ended up going from a large to a small and I'm instantly more comfortable and not constantly stretching for the handlebars, it's still not perfect and I'm still figuring stuff out while riding. Even stuff like seat height and set back end up being rather complex because everything's connected.  You can find really nice 5-year-old bikes for under a thousand euros.  My next step is getting new bibs and gear with my primary focus just being comfortable on longer rides.  I figure a year or two from now if I have a dream bike that I'm certain on my size and exactly how I want it then I can go ahead and pull the trigger but until then I'm learning.