ORIGINAL: piper_chuck
Set a limit on what you think you can afford and post it. That will help people make recommendations.
Also, even though you may not like the idea of a club, some of the best bargains can be had from people selling stuff. For example, lots of people try out R/C and decide they don't like it. Quite often when they decide to sell off their stuff, they turn to the club help them sell it. Also, R/C people are usually really interested in helping more people enjoy the hobby. If the club knows there's a newcomer who doesn't have much money, they'll usually bend over backward to get you enough stuff to get going. Look at the "pay it forward" thread for a perfect example of this.
For electrics, the GWS EStarter and Slowstick can be bought as a package for a pretty reasonable price. They're both small, but as long as you don't try to fly on windy days, they'll do fine. If you are in a windy area, you will want something larger.
I bought my first trainer--an LT-40--from a guy who had tried RC and then decided he didn't have the guts to continue with it.
It was an LT-40 KIT that one of the guys at the LHS had put together for him. It had a TT Pro .46 engine and an Airtronics Vangaurd 4ch radio. The plane had been flown 3 times when the guy gave up on RC.
I picked it up at the LHS for $375.
All I needed was the usuall support equipment--field box, starter, ni-starter, etc.....
Join a club and join the AMA. It's the only way to fly.
I'd guess that about 95% of the clubs in this country REQUIRE AMA to fly. You'll have a hard time flying without AMA. And you really don't want to "poach" that old dirt road outside town. Should you happen to hit a car or one of farmer Browns' cows--your in big trouble.
AMA provides liability insurance that you really can't afford to be without.
The club will help you out in many ways. DON'T pay a fee for instruction. Most all clubs will provide free instruction to new members. It's a nice gesture--on your part--to buy your instructor a gallon of fuel when you've soloed--but not required.