My solution is similar - I read the release notes every month or so, and upgrade only if I am interested in some of the new features.
I am willing to fix stuff if it breaks, and I have a backup config I can downgrade back if needed.
I take a similar approach to firmware upgrades for my IoT devices - I run them on a couple of separate vlans, so I feel okay only updating them every few months when I see the need (mostly custom builds of tasmota/esphome/etc.)
HA is not ready for grandma, but most technically inclined folks should be able to get a ton out of it after you get past the initial learning curve.
I recommend using the add-on "Check Home Assistant configuration" before every upgrade. I only upgrade when I get the confirmation from this add-on that nothing will break.
The add-on actually download the new version and checks my config file against it. When something breaks, you get the error message so you can fix what's not working (happens once or twice a year for me, usually a config change), and relaunch the add-on to test again.
I take a similar approach to firmware upgrades for my IoT devices - I run them on a couple of separate vlans, so I feel okay only updating them every few months when I see the need (mostly custom builds of tasmota/esphome/etc.)
HA is not ready for grandma, but most technically inclined folks should be able to get a ton out of it after you get past the initial learning curve.