Hmm i dont know, if i was you bossk i would try to capture an oveview of philosophical history first by reading through a text like the one i mentioned above. A lot of philosophy is somewhat reactionary based, so it helps to understand what the author your reading is reacting to, whether that be culutural, another writer, historic events, etc. Also a basic text will introduce you to the basic terminology of philosopy, as well as a synopsis of the thinkers past, providing a context to work from. Once you have the basic grasp on the big picture you can start to focus more on the thinkers that interest you, diving into there works and beginning to interpret them yourself.

oh and you dont have to pay full price for that book, check with your local used books stores, or on ebay. My original copy of the book got stolen, but i got it off ebay for $6 shipping and all.

EDIT: I would also recommend taking some time to read more than just western philosophy. The Tao te Ching, Art of War, Book of the 5 Rings, just to name a few are all great reads.

Also if you are interested in religious text at all check out this site. www.sacred-text.com. It is by far the largest religious text archive i have ever run across on the net. Best of all its free...

enjoy