[Andy B]

I've won quite a bit in the last few months, and most of it seems to have disappeared....Oh well, I've had fun.

Yes, there is a lot of literature aimed at middle-limit players which assumes that your opponents are playing reasonably well. Obviously, if you're playing $1/2 on-line, some of your opponents are going to be playing quite badly. If your raises aren't going to knock people out, don't raise for that reason. You might raise anyway, but trying to knock out people who won't be knocked out is a recipe for frustration. There is a loose games section of 7CS4AP which talks a lot about how to play in these types of games. It alone is going to be worth the cover price, even at those limits.

Since you have a day job which hopefully covers expenses, I'd suggest that you maybe stick your neck out just a bit and at least look at $2/4 and $3/6 games and hop in if they look inviting. Don't go outside of your comfort zone, and it's OK to hit and run. And if you happen to throw off $100-200 in one of these games, don't try to get it all back in the same night playing $1/2. You'll have to work your way back slowly.

Maybe you could get a better-paying day job and you could just build a bankroll, rather than spending it all on beer.

BTW, you mentioned high-low games in your original post, and if you're going to play either stud/8 or Omaha/8, Ray Zee's book is a must.