I’d recommend the following set of tools:
- Cordless drill (any major brand is fine, I like Milwaukee)
- Hand pull saw (whatever is fine)
- Set of decent chisels (Narex is great value)
- Corded circular saw (Makita 5007F is a great choice)
- Random orbital sander (DeWalt has some fairly good budget models)
- Clamps, clamps, more clamps
Most of all though, get good wood. I actually strongly recommend starting with plywood primarily if you don’t have access to quality lumber since you won’t have to do any surfacing.
This can’t be overstated enough. There are huge swathes of the USA where the only stores within half an hour are dollar general or gas station convenience stores. You literally can’t eat healthy on those sources, and the nearest actual grocery store could be an hour or even more away.
Kinda hard to eat well when just getting the ingredients would take half a days time.
Hell, I’m in a city and if I didn’t have a car my only options in walking distance are a convenience store and a couple fast food places. Nearest grocery store is a 12 minute drive or a 3 hour bus ride if the bus even shows up.