if i were just using a dataset to store user settings, i could get by with something tiny.
but my problem is that my fun project ideas are usually some variant of "theres a huge dataset, lets build some fun dataviz on it". which is a problem because a) i need a big db to store that giant dataset and b) the db size doesn't scale with usage, so i can't just put it off until later
You can rent a dedicated server with 1tb disk space, and 12-16 full cores for <50 bucks per month. I'm confident you can host as many projects as you'd like on there for quite awhile.
but my problem is that my fun project ideas are usually some variant of "theres a huge dataset, lets build some fun dataviz on it". which is a problem because a) i need a big db to store that giant dataset and b) the db size doesn't scale with usage, so i can't just put it off until later