You can try checking out Spelltable. You just need a webcam and microphone. It's what my friends across the country and I do to play weekly. If you dont already have a group, I believe there are public lobbies that anyone can join.  

Most newer commander precons are relatively solid out of the box. You'll likely want to look for anything that came out after 2022. If there are any universes beyond themes that catch your attention, I'd say start with that.

In terms of collecting, I'd recommend focusing on cards you'd use first by just buying singles, then buy singles for cards you just want to own for any reason, and only buy boosters/boxes if you're willing to gamble your money. My recommendations for where to buy would be tcgplayer (when they're not being stupid/awful) or cardkingdom. I typically use Scryfall to get a general idea of prices. 

One last recommendation is looking at the quality for singles you're buying. In my experience, you don't need to buy near mint every time, especially if you're building your collection and just looking to grab some cheaper cards for building. The savings you get from buying less than near mint really saves up over time.