I really like www.allelectronics.com a surplus electronics dealer. You can usually find 95% of the parts you need from them at cut rate prices with almost next day shipping to my locale for $7 per order. They have a couple experimenter's bread boards. http://www.freepcb.com/home.html is a layout and printing software for making you own pcb's. I haven't really mastered it yet. I'm fairly well versed in electrician stuff like house and appliance wiring but always stopped when I saw one of those little green boards with all the colorful little gizmos soldered to it. But, now I'm trying to learn this electronics stuff myself. I bought a good basics book from Radio Shack a couple of years ago. I can't remember the name but it's something like The Basics of Electronic Circuits (not trying to be funny). Check and see if they still have it.
Not really, its a case of 'pick n mix'.
When you decide on which project you are going build, just swot up on those
points that are needed to solve the problem.
Learning electronics as hobby, usually you have something in mind you would like to design.
Its a bit like doing a jig saw puzzle, at first do the easy bits, [ the corners, then the bits with flat edges and so on] eventually you will find all your little bits of knowledge will start to fit together.
If you ask the forum any questions its a good idea to post what YOU have done, with as much background information you can add.
Most members like to see the OP has made an effort to solve the problem on his own.