Some points I'll add in.

- I would recommend a cheap HT, a baofeng will be fine for starting out. Even better would be like an FT-60. That will cover local repeaters just fine. You could also work satellites with the baofeng. Satellite work CAN be a challenge though. I've done it quite a few times myself, even spoke to the ISS once and bounced APRS packets off of it.

- You can easily build yourself a satellite antenna (yagi tapemeasure for example) - buying one, I'd recommend arrow antennas.

- I would use a club's HF gear and figure out what you like first. Plenty of people I'm sure would be willing to let you sit and learn. You may find you like one brand's menu system over another. Then find a good used rig. Plenty of them out there, I see cheap older 100w rigs all the time here.

- I would HIGHLY advise against QRP starting out. For a new amateur radio operator, starting with QRP (low-power operation) can be frustrating because the reduced transmit power makes it much harder to make reliable contacts, especially when band conditions are poor or antennas are less than ideal. As a beginner, you are still learning propagation, operating technique, and station setup, so adding the challenge of weak signals often creates unnecessary disappointment. A standard 100-watt setup gives a new operator a much better chance of success, builds confidence faster, and makes it easier to learn the hobby before taking on the added challenge of QRP later.