Adding on to all the good advice above, try and get a taildragger endorsement at some point, you'll learn more about controlling the plane in those few hours than your entire time in a tricycle. Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche Is an excellent book to read, it will help sharpen your skills of mastering flying. Use flight following on cross countries, the controllers are very accommodating and you'll feel more confident using the radio. I spent a two year period flying my Cub with just earplugs in, took a while after that to get used to talking.
As far as buying a plane, take an honest assessment of what you'll be doing with the plane. I know too many people who bought 6 seater, twin engine, etc. thinking they would load their buddies up and head to deer camp or whatever, only to never make that trip and the plane sits idle most of the year. If six of you don't load up in a Suburban and head somewhere regularly, more than likely you won't do the same in a plane. If you're flying to your ranch and landing on a strip there, you're gonna want something that is tough yet still has decent cruising speed. My search led me to buying a '56 Cessna 182, which I love. It'll get in and out of the strip my Dad and I built on our ranch, and still has the speed to make it from Wharton County to Memphis in 3.5 hours.
