"...plus it only has so many starts in it
from the day it is built. They only save on longer duty cycles."

I understand that your concern is that a CFL will die too soon if you
keep turning it on and off too often. But note that the vast majority
of them come with a 5-7 year warranty. So if it breaks before 5 years,
take it back to the store, get your money back, and buy a new one.