Braking bumps are equivalent to washboard if you ever drive on dirt roads. They are worse right before turns, since braking forces cause more erosion, and once the undulations start they just get bigger with more traffic.
The lack of money to buy a FS bike does not mean you have to, or even should buy a hardtail. Within your budget there are FR capable bikes. That is the beauty of bikes. Even on a Burger King budget, you can pretty much buy whatever bike you want. There was a thread somewhere where hundreds of people posted their bikes and their cars, with the car being valued less than the bikes.
Case in point. I bought an essentially new Titus Quasimoto 5.9" frame for 200 bucks. My next frame was a 1500 frame I got for 700 bucks. My 3000 dollar titanium road bike cost me 900 dollars. However, I paid full retail 2350 on the last frame I bought, and it wasn't even for me (lucky girlfriend...now ex-girlfriend...doh!). But I make money now, back then I was a student.
So what I am telling you, is basically start small. For example, I knew the frame on the 200 Titus was in good condition, but the shock was bad. But, I was able to find a brand new Fox Float shock (on clearance, since it was 2 years old) for 50 bucks. But worst case scenario, 200 bucks was a comfortable amount. Did I want a 5000 dollar bike, sure. But if I had the money back then, I would have purchased the wrong bike. Since, even though I thought I knew about bikes...I had no idea about the top of the line bikes: Knolly, Nicolai, Canfield, etc.
Buy a cheap used FS bike, savor it, and welcome to the club. Next year, you will be thinking about the next upgrade, and you will know 1000% more about WHAT you want than you do now.