Originally Posted by Bill Kapaun

That's probably a better approach. Just get what you absolutely need to get on the road.
After that' you can pick and choose what you need the most and have time to research it. It's easy to stick $100 into a bike for "basic" needs and then discover a better alternative later.My brother discovered a near pristine 86 RockHopper, with "upgraded components" for $50! I spent $16 on 2 "bike path" tires to replace the very "aggressive" knobbies and I was in business.
Since then, I've changed the tires (again, to even skinnier pavement types), cassette and bars to better fit my riding style. That was another $80, but I was able to do it in "steps" as the budget allowed. You may also want to buy a few basic tools, if you don't have them.