if it was me, i would go down the route of starting off with something like a Line 6 pod (loads on ebay second hand), it has loads of amp models and effects already loaded and you can link it up to your DAW of choice (Reaper has a free 30 day tial and has lots of tutorials on youtube) through an audio interface and start recording straight away. The Pod can also work off headphones or be linked up to an amp, it's a cheap and easy way to get started and then if you decide to at a later date you can upgrade to something more expensive.