Elysian Shadows

I've recently been wondering about how to get started with electronics. I've been looking at arduinos, and I've heard good things about them.

The problem is, I have no idea where the best place to buy a starter kit is, or what any additional things are I might need.

If you could recommend something for me, that would be great. Keep in mind I'm still a high school student with no license/job, so I only have $85 right now, and that won't change for a long time.

go and buy a bunch of random resistors, caps, leds etc from a local store for 2c each
if you want to go down the breadboard option so you can reuse and keep making things without solder then get a decent sized board with the spring loaded things in the holes (i dont know what they are called)
or buy a soldering iron and solder sucker if you want to go down that path.
buy anything else that seems interesting
hell of a lot cheaper than the kits.

i go to a place in aus call jaycar and they have everything i could ever want or need
http://jaycar.com.au i usually buy (yes buy, its like 500 pages for $5) a catalog each year its so handy to have lying around

Your local radioshack has most of the stuff you need to get started, be it a breadboard, solder, or a project box :D