PC Sims
Depends on whether you can really afford it but there are some cheap and even free software programs that run in Windoes or DOS e.g. Pro-Flight that are adequate for learning what the needles show and what they mean. You can buy lots of gear but until you understand what is required on a particular procedure "flying" a PC sim may not be the help you would expect. Flight sim does help but it depends on your level of knowledge and ability to learn good habits when not supervised. Bad habits can be/are expensive to change once learned. Hope you get some more feedback of a positive nature.