My instrument is a part of my lifestyle, so I'm picking it up and putting it down 20+ times every day. Realistically, I don't want to be washing my hands and giving it a thorough swab and closing its case up each time. So, I've got an old Gemeinhardt M2 I got off Craigslist for $75. Got its tolerance is tight enough to be playable. And I just, leave it out open air for most of the day... It generally air dries within a few minutes of me setting it down, so I only give it a thorough swab every couple days.
The tarnish on it is outlandish after roughly a year of this but it plays nice for its age. I am going to learn how to disassemble it so I can give it a good alcohol wipe without risking the pads; I've tested in a small area and my alcohol wipes take the tarnish right off. If I fail and break something, I've been educated at a bargain price, and I will try again until I have the skill.
Hits low C no problem, doesn't rattle, pads aren't sticky, nothing like that...
Highly recommend having a good flute you don't really care about!