Hi Kevin,
Re your question about purchasing equipment. I'm 3/4 of my way through my PPL and have so far been served just fine by my eBay headset, eBay flight computer, eBay plotter, etc. Obviously charts and flight guides are best purchased new as they're updated regularly, and a second hand logbook isn't going to be much use, but I have saved a fair bit on the cost of equipment, and the previous owners kept it all in good working order.
That said, for the first 20ish hours you most likely won't be needing much nav equipment, but for circuits and general handling a kneeboard is useful for writing down altimeter settings, taxi clearances and other information in flight. My advice would be to speak with your instructor and buy things as you need them rather than all right at the start. I bought all the books before my first real lesson, and most sat on the shelves for months until I needed them.
Enjoy your PPL and best of luck!
ADC