Pro-tip, it's quite possible to coast by without paying a dime, the game is pretty generous with redoing log in bonuses.
I suggest, as a newb, just create an account and log in ever day for most of a month, then start playing. You get a crapload of basic resources given you for free and by the time you need more, you'll have unlocked the game modes to sustain yourself further for awhile.
The paid crap is something you shouldn't touch unless you have tons of money to burn, you can get basically everything free anyway eventually.