Electronics Lab

Add a soldering kit to the list.

Make that plural - power supplies. You can never have too many power supplies. External ones are better. Make sure you get one at least one with adjustable current limiting, makes it harder to blow stuff up! :->

Get one that measures capacitors. Inductance can be handy too.

Second hand on eBay is the best option. A 20MHz dual channel analog is a basic requirement, although 50-100MHz ones can be had cheaply too, some people even throw them out. If you ask nicely on the groups telling them what a keen beginner you are you might get one for nothing! ;-)

Remember that you won't be able to view a 20MHz square wave on a 20MHz scope!

Add a function generator (sine/square/triange to say 2MHz). A logic probe if you work a lot with digital stuff.

You basically need the ability to generate signals, view signals, measure stuff, and power stuff. That is covered with those 4 basic instruments mentioned.

On the component side, get lots of "kits" and "grab bags" that have 10 or 100 of every value.

Dave :)

I'd recommend a solderless breadboard that comes with an internal power supply that's variable. Often it will have two separate adjustable supplies, so you can use them for circuits that require positive and negative voltages, such as op-amps. Such a breadboard will likely also come with an internal function generator, which produces several different waveforms (sine, square, triangle) whose frequency you can also adjust. This greatly simplifies things. Heathkit made some very good ones, and perhaps you can find one on eBay. But of course plenty of other manufacturers made such items.