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...

OP here. 

Skimming through your two webpages, I can concisely say that they OWN.  I'll read those NOW.

'University of Maryland University College has one of the largest Japanese language programs of any American university.'  Too bad I don't gooooooo...  I don't even have a car yet; regardless, I am now 19, dumb, and need to find out what I want to do before diving into a University anytime soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype
Wow.   Just...wow.  I've heard of Skype from the whole Hal Turner business, but I'd never bothered to look it up.  This is a must have.

Also, being Bix Nood, I think I fall under the biggu dikku category >:3