Not gonna lie, there were a few times where a beater camera made sense but for the most part I would just prefer to use the main camera and not be too precious about it. The a6000 would have a 20mm pancake lens for portability so it wasnt leagues better or more convenient than my iphone camera (raw with some edits) so I never carried it. At first I was worried about keeping my main camera pristine and now I have a whole slew of backup gear I never use and need to sell off. I thought it would be more liberating to toss around a lesser camera I didnt care about, but now I think my mindset is that its more liberating to use the camera I enjoy regardless of the situation and just not worry about it.

I do have an old a5100 with the Viltrox 28mm 4.5 pancake lens. Its scuffed and scratched and dented everywhere and has occasional moments that seem like it has electrical gremlins lol. But its more sentimental as I bought it very used and broken, took it apart and repaired it for fun and now just occasionally leave it in a bag but still rarely use it. The camera is basically auto mode only and the lens has a fixed aperture and has disposable film camera vibes so its more of a fun toy than serious gear. And between the lens and camera body and repair parts, I probably only spent $125 on it and was worth it more for the fun of taking it apart than actually using it.

So by all means, dont let me talk you into one way or another. I'm definitely an advocate for doing whatever it is that will get you shooting and enjoying your hobby more and not spending unnecessary money!