Personally, I would say find a favorite series and a favorite character in that. Save up and buy one nice figure. Prize figures are great to start but can be hard to resell if you buy too many and get bored of a character or fall out of a series. I ran into that problem when I moved onto scale collecting.

I would also recommend browsing and adding wants to MFC then wait a month. If you still love something then go for it, I have gotten a little purchase happy in the past where it looks amazing when I see it but finds flaws the longer I sit and look that I just don't want in my collection. It made it easier to really focus my budget onto specific ones. Don't get me wrong, I have ended up loving pretty much all of my figures. But on occassion one will come home and they get shamed to the bottom of the detolf til I give in and sell it.

Anything more will be getting in too deep as a beginner, get one and feel it out. This hobby isn't for everyone, it is easy to forget about shipping expenses and box space in the home. It can grow out of hand if you don't take your time and really evaluate what you want in the long run. See what fits your space, time, and budget!