Project based learning in azure? Any suggestions?

So, I need to learn azure really fast.  I learn best by doing.  I can't just watch video after video without actually making something work.  Problem I have though is azure cost a lot of money to use.  

A few months ago, I did something in azure... I'm sure most people do, where I created something and then left it.  Few days later I had a few thousand dollar bill in Azure.  I just let it go into default and now I can't use that account anymore.  

I need to find a program that I can make a project in azure.  But, it will cost money.  I know about the $200 free credits.  But, Microsoft seems to recognize me no matter how I sign into Azure and it always tells me that I am not eligible for the $200 credit.  So, I'm stuck with a pay as I go.  I can't be racking up hundreds of dollars every month just to learn Azure.  It would be so nice if there was just a sandbox account I could rent from some company that wiped itself daily or weekly.  Does something like that exist?  

But, I need something project.  I need to make something work.  I need to get into it.  I need for me to struggle to get it to work, things to break, me to pull my hair out a little figuring it out (which means I'll need to probably leave whatever I build running a while as I troubleshoot and can't have it cost a fortune.)

I know about budget alerts.  But, at the same time, the videos I've watched have mentioned over and over that alerts will not stop the billing either.