Hy there
I see you need some help
I can give you an advice i will tell u what i am using and i am very happy with it
It not worth getting your domain or adding tools as u mentioned u can simply use a free blog hosting and belive e google loves them
I use mxhub.com and the offer u everything u want u can create 20 different blogs in one account ,no limits for bandwidth and most important no ads and when you'll have traffic you can use adsense to get some cash
)
So good luck