Flight sim, or anything else out there... sim virgin needs help
Oh my dear Ellie, the sim world is a huge and amazing one. There are loads of things to consider. Understand that although you might only start off for procedure training, it's quite likely you'll quickly get bitten by the bug and become hooked!
There are 3 main flight simulators today: X-Plane 10, Microsoft Flight Simulator X and P3D. I'd say forget the last one as it's simply a modified version of FSX by Lockheed Martin and costs a whopping $200!
If you have a PC that can handle it and you want minimum fuss, I'd recommend X-Plane 10. They use a physics render that simulates aerodynamics realtime so even the default airplanes have decent handling simulations, even if not all aircraft system are simulated (enough for procedure training). Be warned though that X-Plane's user interface is far from user friendly, but it is easier than it looks at first. So just take a deep breath, relax and take your time setting things up.
In terms of hardware you'll need to spend some money. Get a joystick with throttle control and pedals. In terms of joysticks you don't really need anything fancy, although the Logitech ones make quite a fuss in terms of quality/price ratio.
For the pedals I'd recommend the Saitek Pro Flight Rudder pedals. They work great and are reasonable priced as far as pedals go.
If money is too tight then instead of buying pedals opt for a joystick with twist control.
Including hardware and simulator (including pedals) you're talking of a budget of about £200
Now although I recommend X-Plane 10 understand that it's a modern sim gaming software. So it does require a good PC. Could you post your PC specs here?
Happy flying!!