Hello and Welcome to the Chameleon forum! You went to the correct place, many of us have good experience and will be able to lead you in the correct direction. I will make a list of things that you should buy before getting your chameleon.
1. UVB light: Many members use either the repti-glo 5.0(coil) or the repti-glo 10.0(tube) either one will be sufficient. Another brand of the UVB bulbs are repti-sun and Arcadia. Arcadia being the best of all of them is a little more expensive than both repti-glo/repti-sun but for a good reason; its output is a bit higher. YOu have to have a UVB bulb for these guys or else they develop Metabolic Bone Disease which can be fatal if going long enough without it. (also need a light fixture)
2. Basking Light: Now for this really you do not have to get the fancy bulbs at the store. Most of the time a regular 75 watt house bulb will do great and be a lot less expensive than a basking bulb you will need. You also need a basking bulb fixture for it, I recommend just going to walmart and getting a utility lamp for about 6 dollars, that is what I use and it is great.
3. Enclosure: Many people on the forum will tell you screen is the best way to go. For the most part I agree. But honestly you can go either way with your enclosure. Some use glass, others use screen cages. I personally use a screen cage and it is awesome. I have a reptibreeze cage but their are several brands that I will link for you in a second to look at. Screen cages also give superb custom features that you can put in yourself such as drainage in the bottom that a glass terrarium would not unless you order a custom one or customize it yourself. As for glass terrariums I would highly recommend Exo-Terra if you are going that direction. They give enough air flow and I personally like the way they keep the humidity. You also want a vertical enclosure because they are arboreal creatures and spend most of their time off the ground and in the trees.
http://www.diycages.com/15201/15922.html
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti...=1344914378&sr=8-1&keywords=repti+breeze(This one is the one I have, you do not want to go that big at first unless you are purchasing an older chameleon)
Those are some examples of places that have screen cages. Here are some eco-terra ones:
http://www.amazon.com/Terra-High-Gl...r=1-1&keywords=exo-terra+glass+terrarium(very expensive but they are very nice enclosures, this is probably the size you would get when getting your chameleon)
4. Misting system: A lot of members use a misting system to keep up on two things; Humidity and hydration, both of which are extremely important. Many people prefer a Mistking which runs around $100.00. By no means do you HAVE to have them but it makes your life easier as well as the upkeep of humidity and such. You also have the option of several other misters including a spray bottle. I use this method currently as I do not have a automated mister myself. Works just fine I have no problems with it. Along with a misting system you should have a drip system. Now you can purchase the little or big dripper and have it done the easy way or you can do the other easy method in which you just poke a hole in the bottom of a plastic bottle or cup and let it drip into your enclosure.
5. Decor for inside the enclosure: I currently, along with a lot of other members use a mix of live plants as well as fake plants for our enclosures. I have a ficus benjamina tree that I use. Many people recommend the real plants because they keep up the humidity and help with things such as foliage. You want a lot of foliage, not so much that you cannot find your chameleon obviously but enough for it to sit comfortably within and not have to worry about things like predators(if only they knew we were trying to help
) lol I have a bunch of fake leaves, branches, and vines in mine that work very well as climbing structures as well as foliage. You will learn what is enough as you get further into keeping.
6. Supplements: THis is a huge one that some novice keepers don't learn much about. Supplements are very important to maintain a healthy chameleon because they do not get all the outdoor exposure that they would in the wilderness. You will need PLAIN, PLAIN PLAIN calcium without D3 in it for every single feeding. Then twice a month you should dust your feeders in a calcium with d3 and a multi vitamin. For a multivitamin I use Herptivite and for a calcium with D3 I use flukers brand. They both work very well.
And for the most part that covers a lot of it. Now I will post a blog for you to read so that you can learn about basic care for your chameleon if you happen to get one. I highly recommend going with a Male Veiled or Male Jacksons chameleon if you are a beginner like you say. They will be the easiest to care for and you won't have to worry about things like infertile clutches that a female Veiled would produce.
here is the blog:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
PLease look over that blog she will explain it all to you as far as care goes. I hope this helps!
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I suggest veiled, panther or Jackson as fairly tolerant Chams to "start" with. No particular order. You will need a bigger enclosure depending on age and breed. Most suggest no smaller than 24x24x48. I'll let others chime in! Welcome and we like peeps that research before hand! 
