Yep, I encourage everyone to do this (though don't ask an LLM, actually put effort into learning). It's easy and cheap to do. I have been running a server in the NTP pool on a Digital Ocean droplet for years now, costs me only $6 a month.
The people who learn to use LLMs effectively for learning will outcompete you handily. You understand that, right? Tool use is an important skill, arguably among the most important ones we have evolved.
