My first suggestion:
If you can, it's worth the time and money to take a beginner's class. For many of us, it's just easier to learn by seeing something demonstrated in person than by reading a book or watching a video.
Quilts! Quilts! Quilts! is my favorite 'beginner' book. Maybe because it was one of the first I bought - and actually READ and made most of the blocks in it.
My second suggestion:
You don't need to actually USE every piece of fabric you experiment with. Remember all the homework we had to do in school? And all the paper that was used - that most of us eventually tossed? Some things are going to be 'learning exercises' and will end up unusable. That's okay. If you want to salvage whatever, that's fine, too. Many of us have a few 'hmmm - I know there is a better way to do that than this' items. It's part of the process.