Forums / Introduce Yourself / New here... and to guns... any advice appreciated

Hello, my husband and I only very recently have come to embrace the 2nd Amendment and feel its time to arm ourselves. Neither of us has ever been around guns and don't really know where to start. Gotta bunch of hippie friends who think we're nuts so don't know anyone who can help us out on the right path.
We have a small budget too so used is the way to go for us. We are looking for lightweight semi-auto rifles & handguns, any recommendations? We will be in the woods and need something that can stop a bear if need be, the rest is for homestead protection.
Thanks
Samantha