Looks like I'm in the majority on this one; there's no way I would've been able to save up a significant amount without then thinking "hey, if I saved up that much..." so I went with what I had. Fortunately not being a financial idiot goes a long way, even when that just means not living on debt.

While a side project might technically be a startup, for purposes like this poll, it hardly seems relevant; that doesn't carry nearly the risk -- real or perceived -- of actually working on something new full-time.