Sorry I got to this late, I was once a beginner (heck, still am :p) much like yourself.
Wasters will vary in cost and quality, as will steel blunts (non-sharp swords), but what was linked is pretty much the be-all end-all of both categories. New Stirling Arms wasters are top of the line material (I've been using mine for ~2 years now, one year of which it's been undergoing some pretty brutal contact with all manner of materials - not a single problem with it aside from the minor dents and dings you'd expect).
It's often recommended that you just save for the Albion steel blunt when it comes to practice swords, and if you can't afford that, then spend ~100 dollars on a waster from New Stirlin Arms. If you can't afford THAT, then practice your footwork and wrestling until you can
At the very least once you begin practicing with another person you're going to need some head protection (although other areas are recommended, at the very least you need some kind of fencing mask/helmet), but alone all you need is the waster or blunt.
There are a few good books on the subject (I believe on the main page of this site there is a list of links to some of those - the more recent the better!), and the central weapon to the arts we study is without a doubt the longsword. As mentioned, its core concepts apply pretty easily to all manner of weapons and there's a lot of available material. Of course feel free to read through the articles on this website, as well as watch all of the available videos. If you do end up joining the organization I can assure you there's a lot more help available on the members' site and e-list.
As for a training schedule, if you can devote an hour a day, or at least a couple hours a week, to intense physical activity you're more than qualified in terms of scheduling.
