i want to buy a kit also.. my only problem is finding room to put them

^I still have the problem of where to PLAY THEM.....you can't really go nuts when you live in an apartment building. I'm going to save up and get an elcectric set which will greatly revolutionize my life.....oh yes.

you can always put carpet or egg crates on the walls

Ha ha....that won't work for me man!

My room consists of basically a bed, a desk, and a kit. No floor. I have to take it down sometimes just to breath.

But I've never played before. I probably won't be able to tell the difference. I don't have tons of money. I don't even know if I'll continue playing after I start. So I want to potential amount of money wasted to be as little as possible.

Right on....I'd honestly try and get a half way decent USED set....you can always replace the heads if they've been shredded on. Check yr local music stores, City Paper/any classified, Craigs List, and maybe even EBay. ROCK.

Plus, super-cheap sets are usually not as "playable" as somewhat better ones, which can be frustrating and make the learning process more difficult. I know that after a few years of having a crappy guitar and then getting a nicer one, my playing improved drastically in a far shorter amount of time just by having an instrument that was "more playable."
Also, if you ultimately decide not to pursue it, a somewhat nicer set will retain more value and be easier to sell without losing a ton of money on the whole thing...
A nicer instrument is always a good incentive to work on your playing. Having a beginner's technique and skill is hard enough without having an instrument that sounds crappy and feels rickety.

Good point.

I have a basic Sonor kit with Paiste Cymbals. It's awesome.

Though I don't know much at all about drums, I agree with everyone else in saying, get good drums and cheap cymbals, for now.

I've recently started playing drums. My sister put $700 into her set and about $200, I believe, into her cymbals, and I'm there denting everything up. They're really fun to play, even if I am unaware on how they're to be played. I usually just listen to a song I want to learn and play it back. I'm having trouble keeping the hi-hat in rythmn when I'm trying to do something rather tricky with the bass and snare.

Yes, more talk about drums I say.....

I have this, but it's a 6 piece not a 5 with Sabian hats, ride, and crash plus a Zildjian dark crash.....in this color. It's a Pearl Session Series. After I get my electric set (which I used to think were so fucking cheesy and would never want one......they are soooo fucking awesome to play...effortless) I'm going to get a set of the new Vistalites that Ludwig are putting out because they fucking rule. Ya heard?

Ah, see, now I'm of the school that says it's better to learn on a crappy instrument, because the flaws and imperfections, once conquered, will make you a better player. The logic running that if you play a crappy guitar well, you'll play a good guitar better. And also, no harm done if you buy a low-price piece of shit and then give up and sell it, whereas it can be difficult to shift expensive things quickly. The price-drop in 'bought' to 'selling' on expensive gear can make the money lost seem a lot more.

There is some truth to that (when I got a REALLY nice guitar after going from crappy to semi nice for several years, I sounded about 5 years better immediately), but I think that had I owned better gear when I first started, the actual sound of the instrument would not have been as objectionable and I would have wanted to practice more.
Also, shitty drums suck way worse to play on than most shitty guitars.

I agree.....especially for a new player. This is mainly true for the cymbals I think....most so for the high hats (again, playing with pie pans can be a real buzzkill). Not only do you have to play harder to get a better/louder sound, but I think it is easy for a new player to get discouraged with how shitty they sound in comparison to the sounds you hear on record/at shows. It takes quite a bit of effort to play the drums as is and with a shitty set I think it can quickly become more of a chore than for having fun.

I think the main think to look for quality in, actually, is hardware. Crappy shells and cymbals are not as detrimental as a crappy hi-hat stand or bass drum pedal. Heads also have a huge affect. It's all about feel and reliability. The rest is just sound, which, in my experience, is really only noticed by drummers.

Good drums don't really come cheap. You'll be hard pressed to find a pretty good drum set for $400. I suggest saving a bit more money and buy a real good drum set.