Hello there.
I can recommend the following:
1. A good Electronics text book. When I started out I used "Electronic Systems" by M.W. Brimicombe and it's adequate. I think I wrote a review on it in the books section of this forum. Other than that, "The Art of Electronics", although very old now, is still a bible of Electronics. It's expensive, but you might be able to get a good copy on Ebay.
2. Breadboard prototyping. Get yourself a small breadboard prototyping kit. This will allow you to build circuits explained in the electronics text book and verify the operation of it for yourself. This is where you'll learn the most about Electronics!
3. A simple multimeter. For verification purposes it doesn't need to be very accurate, but diode and transistor test functions are useful, so try to get on that supports those functions.
4. A variable D.C. power supply. I have a 32V dual PSU which is excellent because you can do split rails and stuff like that with it, but they are expensive so to start with if I were you I'd try to pick up a variable 12V PSU with perhaps 500mA to 1A current output.
5. If you can afford it, a very basic oscilloscope would be extremely useful. If you can't afford it, then an electronics simulation package is a good compromise for learning purposes.
I hope this helps!
Brian