especially starting out, aside from anything else the damn things are expensive.

About the only advice I'd give a new starter in the current market, would be to think long and hard about an IT career. If you really want to do it, choose the discipline that best suits your innate talents, and go for it.

At thirteen years old I decided I wanted to be a programmer, it sure as heck wasn't for big bucks, an onwards and upwards career and so I'd have to turn down repeated offers of sex.

Which is pretty fortunate really...