Spells should be cast out of necessity, not because you feel like it. Like, the last time I cast a spell was to heal my dog while she was at the doggy hospital, she swallowed a rib bone whole, and she was in a lot of pain and they were thinking she might have needed surgery. I set up altar with her collar in the middle and, since I was calling on the elements, I used a plain white tea candle (the kind you can buy a bag of 50 for $2 at Walmart) for fire, a leaf for earth, a feather for air, and a seashell for water, and a rose quartz necklace I made next to her collar for healing.
My point is, you don't need to get expensive athames or cauldrons or anything, simple tools will work, as will not having tools at all; after all, the point of magick is the intent of the practitioner.
If you need practice for spell-work, I suggest what I did; two or three times a week, just practice casting circle, or calling on a particular element, or working with your energy (try building while containg, and releasing; it takes some practice!).