How to study Japanese?

I'll try to keep this short.

I want to start learning Japanese, but since I don't have Pimsleur money I need a method to hit it.  Right now I have 'A Guide to Writing Kanji And Kana' Book 1 and 2, by Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn, and Living Language's 'Ultimate Japanese' (which is supposedly a VERY shitty book, but it was free and I'm using it for grammar/conjugation only.)  I'm debating making flash cards as well.

So, how should I go about learning it?  I'm sure just reading it won't be enough...

Everyone ITT is an idiot. Buy the Yookoso book (search Amazon)/take classes. It's expensive but it's worth it.

Speaking Japanese is much more useful than writing kanji, and learning kanji as you use it is infinitely more useful.