RE: First steps in 3d printing

If it complains a lot then give in and lube it up :)

After that, unless it is very dusty, dry, or full of cat hair, shouldn't be needed for a long while.

PLA is not bad for picking up moisture but a bunch of other common filaments are. I use a lot of silica gel packets (not loose, it gets everywhere!) in my filament storage containers, and I have a couple of driers too, but if you are printing a fair but then the main thing is to not leave spare filament lying around.