I made the mistake of getting a crappy electric. I got to the point where I just got bored with it. About a year after messing around with crappy strat I had purchased, I started playing my dad's Washburn acoustic. I loved the way it sounded and played, although it was tougher. I found it a better learning tool, regardless no one is truly ever done learning (especially not me) hahaha. It gives you the base for everything you need. Chord progressions, scales are better on it, but it probably doesn't matter to learn scales. I started learning arpeggios on it. Not to mention, I use acoustic guitars almost as much as electrics in the music I create.
Buying a guitar is like buying a car. You need to find the one that you like the best, and the one that fits you best. If you don't like the guitar, you'll never play it.
Considering the cash, don't expect to pay less than $500 for a half way quality guitar.