A few observations:
You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a very good razor, and the bargains are amongst the vintage ones. Neil Miller will be very helpful if you ask for his advice.
Your first razor must be shave ready, whether you intend to hone your own or not. That way you know what a good edge should feel like.
You need a strop: budget for a decent basic one.
As Max says, decent lather is a must.
Work on the assumption that you will cut yourself: there's a chance that you might not, but it's not very likely.
That said, don't be unduly scared of the blade. A relaxed frame of mind helps a lot.
Don't expect instant perfect results. The learning curve is a steep one, and you won't have given it a proper go until you've put in a minimum of a month's regular straight razor use. There is no dishonour in tidying up with a safety razor whilst you're starting out.
Be aware that there's scope for things to get a little out of hand ... after a year or so you may well come to a sudden realisation that you have acquired an awful lot of razors / strops / hones without being quite sure how it happened.