"A provisional application for patent has a pendency lasting 12 months from the date the provisional application is filed. The 12-month pendency period cannot be extended. " - Sounds like a waste of money, so just get a real one?
If you've ever looked into getting a patent, it's expensive (for a normal person not making much money), like thousands of dollars. I don't have that kind of extra money right now, and a provisional patent application is only $100. This will suffice until I can get funding so I can still test my idea, because the "patent pending" status would protect it from being stolen.