Catharz at [unixtime wrote:1171572134[/unixtime]]
If you do spend the money to copy it or the 'known slot' to know it, and spend a spell slot to cast it, you're still down one over-priced spell slot for the start of the adventure.
At least you're getting something as opposed to paying some NPC cleric to cast it, in which case you lose character wealth and get nothing back at all.