Most of the popular beginner’s bikes can often be later resold for what (or very close to) you paid for them (assuming you buy used). There’s always demand for them. Ninjas in particular sell like hotcakes.
So you’re not really wasting any money if you buy a small displacement first bike like the Ninja 250…you’ll likely get most if not all of it back when you sell in a year or whatever when you move up.
Just think of your first used bike as a rental.
And agree with Bouncingradical…check out your local community college to see if they offer the MSF courses. Where I live, they are significantly cheaper than doing the Riders Edge. Also, at Riders Edge, they only have Buell Blasts, but at community colleges, there’s usually a plethora on bikes, from cruisers to dual sports to even one or two Ninjas.