I'm a beginner as well OP. I was pretty lucky because I got my tank for free a few weeks ago when my neighbor put it to the curb. He told me it's a 28 gallon and originally worth $600. He also gave me the filter, light, heater and an air pump so I had all that taken care of.
I then bought some plants, substrate, a filter sponge, a powerhead, blood worms, carbon for the plants, water conditioner w/ beneficial bacteria and a piece of driftwood and a rock.
When my tank is finished cycling, I plan on getting kuhli Loaches first, then cherry barbs and neons.
I used to have fish when I was a kid, but my mom was the one who set up the tank and took care of it, so I had no knowledge of owning fish. You should definitely do your own research on how to take care of your tank; google is your friend. I like this site:
http://www.aquahobby.com/ They have some articles you can read and information on different kinds of fish and plants.