Ready Set GROW!

I am a noob to every extent of the word. I am attempting my first grow and am germ some seeds as we speak. I live in a small town and don't have a lot of money to invest Until my wife understands the yield she won't let me invest too much which I understand I have many progects that I had to have and well fizzeled but this is a different story! However I was wondering if someone could give me a Essentials Idea of what to buy pots, soil,lights so forth. I live in a small town and Wal mart and Menards are all I have for buying things so if you could keep that in mind. I have a very rough idea from the faqs pages but was hoping for a little bit of a personal response. Thank you all for you r help

Iowa

Pots, soil (basic), thermometer, perlite (avaiable at some stores), timer, fan, cfl's, various metal pieces for grow room, white paint, ph kit, moisture meter. And what you can't find there try high tech garden on line.

perlite could be replaced by expanded clay pellets but they retain more water, those cfl's should be cool white, so 4000K up in light themp, perfect would be 6500K cfl's