Hi Paul, Welcome to the hobby.
I know it's hard to know what to buy when starting out on a limited budget. I purchased my tripod and binoculars from AOE a couple of years ago and the quality was acceptable and affordable. But remember you get what you pay for.
Like, Mike, I too would have lost my patience by now.
I would suggest you look at
Andrews and
BinTel. Their service and support and second to none in this country. Andrew's prices seem to be on par with AOE. Bintel are a little bit more expensive with some items, but you get exceptional advice and customer service.