Get a G34 or 17 (or you might have something that will work already and not know it). Shoot one or two matches a month, whatever you can afford. Shoot them with factory ammo, cheap WWB 115gr 9mm ammo from wallyworld, and save all the brass. When you can afford to get into reloading, then the brass will be there to use and start out cheap.

Competition shooting is what you want to make it to be. You don't have to go to every match, all over the state, every Sat and Sun. You can go to the occasional match, shoot with good shooters, and learn as you go. Some get into it and go all out. Some get into it and show up at certain matches. It's all about what you can afford and what is right for you.

There is a cost to shooting competitions, but a lot of the cost is people wanting the best gear out there, the new widget, the shiny blaster... There are mre than a few GM's out there that shoot Glocks/XD/M&P/CZ and use $17 Uncle Mikes injection molded holsters and mag pouches. Spend the money on ammo, spend the time on dry fire and live fire. Get gear solid enough to last.

With that said, I won't BS you. Money and time are huge advantages in how fast you get better at shooting. It's not something you can do with either of these things and become a GM in two years. But, not everyone that shoots well has to be a GM. The average B class shooter shoots better than 99% of the LE and military in this country and about 90% or the rest of the population, no BS. This is very doable on a budget.