I was just wondering your opinions...which tips are most common to use for decorating?? I went to Hobby Lobby today and spent a fortune on tips but don't even know if I got the most basic ones. I got to the register and the lady asked me if I had my 40% off coupon 
and I spent 94.00!!! What are the basic essentials of decorating? I got course 1 (Wilton Method) book and Course 2. And also a practice board. Is there anything else I am forgetting? Also one more thing. Practice icing...the wilton buttercream..can I practice with it then store it to use again? Thanks for your input CC friends. (And if I can use it again how do I store it?)
I have a ton of tips!! You'll use certain ones A LOT more than others!!!
Just make a batch of bc icing to practice with. When you're finished practicing, scrape it off & store/save it to practice with later.
Good Luck to you!!! It sounds like you're heart is definitely in this, well....atleast your wallet is, lol!!! 
Hobby Lobby has 40% off coupons on there website for regular priced items every other week. They have one this week. The kits are a good place to start. The small round tips and the star tips are used for a lot of things. It depends on what you are making. The wilton yearbook has a section on all of the tips and what they can do.
In the course book there is a recipe for class buttercream. I recommend making that. It is easier to work with then the canned stuff. Read through the manuals. There are different consistencies of icing for different things, for example, stiff is for roses, medium is for borders, thin is for icing the cake and writing. Good Luck to you!
Store the reuseable frosting in the fridge. It will keep forever. Just keep using it to practice with. If you have the Course 1 and Course 2 books they tell you what basic tips you need to start with. Your best bet is to buy a set instead of individually. Don't get too carried away buying stuff until you learn a little or you'll waste money on things you don't really need. Trust me. I could show you several items I don't use.
Once you get to decorating alot you will find that having duplicate tips comes in very handy also.
When making your icing follow the Wilton recipe until you get confident enough to alter it or use another with butter, etc. If you are going to be making flowers, especially roses, be sure you use the meringue powder. It stablizes the icing and makes it easier to work with.
Have you taken any classes? Good luck and pay attention to the people on CC. They are very talented and have lots of good ideas and helpful hints.
Diane
lionlady what stablizes the icing? No I'm trying to go through the Goat School of Decorating. Which means I'm teaching myself. Well actually I read so much on here that you all are teaching me. Thanks for all the help CC friends.
Meringue powder stablizes the icing. It is listed as an ingredient in the receipe in the Course 1 and 2 books. My cousin taught herself how to decorate back in the early 60's. She saw someone doing it on TV and decided that she could do it. Ordered a book and the rest is history. She did beautiful work until she had to quit because of her health. Good luck with your work.
Diane
As far as the most often used piping tips goes, the Wilton sets are a good place to start.
If you read the backs of the course kits, you will see which tips are required.
If you have extras, do not panic. Let me suggest that you keep some extras on the side, and use them strictly for royal icing. My Wilton instructor suggested that if we plan on using royal icing on a regular basis, that we should invest in separate tips, bags, couplers, and spatulas, just for royal, to avoid grease contamination from cross-use with buttercream. This was the best advice about royal icing I ever received. I make a lot of flowers, and store them for use later. Having a kit just for royal icing has come in very handy.
Theresa 
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