Thanks! Glad to be here. Long time lurker. I'll post more as my new garage gets built up.
Agree cheap meters can be a problem just like inaccurate torque wrenches. My approach is to pay for what I need, not overpay for something that I don't. I'm not a pro or amateur, somewhere...
A cheap Mastech MS2108 on amazon ($90) gets good reviews. As far as cheaping out on a meter, I'd instead say don't overpay. If you're a pro, go ahead and spend for pro equipment. Fluke 381 approaches $500...