To answer both questions...

1. Yes. You can still get hurt. In my first 3 weeks of boxing, I have had a black eye (not bad, just a tiny bruise), my nose has bled (again, not bad, I was still able to spar for two more rounds), and I got cracked so hard in the chin that I went down to one knee, and my jaw still hurts 1 1/2 weeks later as i write this. Dont get me wrong, I'm not getting my ass kicked every time, I'm dishin out my fair share as well. Just shows that you can still get hurt, even if your doing well.

While these are only minor injuries, they had potential to be worse. Had I walked into that punch to the nose, I could have broken it. Had the shot to the chin been a lot harder, I could have been KO'd completely, or dislocated my jaw.

I guess where I'm going with this is, dont let the protective gear fool you. It is still possible to get hurt. Usually just makes me more determined to hit him and not be hit myself.

2. You're gonna spend the same amount of money whether you workout and spar at the gym, or if you only spar, correct? So dont you think it would be advantageous to train with others? One of the best ways to learn anything is to watch someone who does it well. Go to the gym. Watch the people who seem to be the best there, and do what they do. Watch other people spar. Watch what they do right, and what they do wrong. Then, try to emulate the good things you see them doing.

I hope this helps a bit.