To start with, stick to simple construction and good designs. Small, basic chests, headboards, cabinets with straight lines and “no ginger-bread” are good projects for the beginning woodworkers.
To produce more advanced projects, you must be at home in a workshop. However, many projects can be made with basic techniques and a minimum of equipment. If you can saw a straight line and know how to use hand tools, you can begin, learning as you go.
Get as much training as you can. Having started out with the trial and error method myself, I am aware of the pitfalls. Wasted time, wasted materials and a lot of frustration went into those early years.
Today there are good woodworking centers and courses springing up all over the world and internet. If your area lacks such facilities, buy and study how-to magazines and books and learn from them, as well as from online resources.
Check out classes and choose one that offers an opportunity to hone your skills. The money invested is well spent. As for tools, go ahead and buy the top of the line if you can afford to, and if that’s what you really hanker for. But if you can’t buy the best, understand that getting started is the most important thing.