Daniel before buying anything go to a Amateur society around your area and have a look at the various types of telescopes. Then decide what you want to save up for. The biggest struggle is to be
patient an save for the telescope you feel
comfortable using. The comfort will come from seeing others telescopes at a club night etc. Also be sure to watch them setup and packup. Ask yourself can you be happy with a scope that need significant labour to move around and/or setup.
Start with a good pair of binos 10x50, if you go bigger you will need a tripod. And get some good star charts, either free software as mentioned before or printouts available on the net. Ther is monthly one that you can print off at
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/?cat=10
Learn the sky, constellations, planets etc and the way move over time.
Don't rush into a purchase, some clubs will lend you a telescope thats your best bet.
Regards