Relatively new to this stuff too, I've found McKee's 37 brand to be a great mix of performance, ease of use, and price. Outside of that line, you can't go wrong with Meg's All Purpose Cleaner (APC) concentrate that's sold by the gallon here. A couple spray bottles with different dilutions (4:1 and 10:1) live in the cabinets in my mud room because I've found a ton of different uses for it. I also like Meg's Ultimate wash and wax, as well as the ultimate spray wax.
Towel wise, I have really come to like the cobra guzzler waffle weaves for drying, the miracle towels for removing wax/sealant and I just bought a few of the shine and buff's for waterless washes this winter. For wheels, door jambs, and other items that get grimy I use the costco bulk pack because I won't cry when I throw them away like the better quality ones sold here.
I just started a topic asking when a mystery box special would happen again. You have no idea what you'll get, but you get a lot for the price and I ended up with several products I would have never tried otherwise, and several other items That I couldn't decide which way to go.