Hi John & welcome aboard. It sounds like you are on the right track & you're right, it is much more costly to use the disposables & a not so great shave goes with it. If you learn to hone, You come out cheaper in the long run plus you get smoother, closer shaves with a straight. I'm sure you're smart enough to use a computer or you wouldn't have made it this far so you know what to do. Just click on anything you can & yo will find almost an endless wealth of information here. It would be a good idea to get you a second straight for when you send one out to be pro honed until you learn how to hone. You can also practice with a butter knife on a strop so you don't accidentally cut one up but fear not. You can usually get it fixed up by sanding it out or gluing it back down with super glue (CA) or my preference is rubber cement since it is pliable.
Any questions, just ask.
Good luck my friend.