As for DMM's, you could opt for a Brymen BM257S as your good meter (~
$125 - $135* shipped), and a Uni-T 139C as your less expensive unit (~
$44C).
FWIW, most of the helping hands with alligator clips fall over too easily. You'd be better off getting a Panavise IMHO (Panavise Jr. isn't terribly expensive, but it is limited as to what it can do). Another alternative is DIY your own out of CNC coolant hose (segmented type; there's plenty of information on these and Panavises if you search the forum).
As per breadboard, look for Wisher (decent quality, yet not too expensive; Taiwanese origin).
I'd also suggest getting a proper 2 layer rubber ESD mat (think large place mat size, such as 24"x30"). And there happens to be an eBay seller,
canvu0_0, based out of Canada (good prices, and shipping should be reasonable too). This not only can help with ESD, but it can handle molten solder and impacts, so it will protect the table beneath it. FWIW, I've purchased a mat from this seller, and it's of excellent quality (mat is made in Canada by Scientific Americas).
I'd also like to reinforce the mention of test leads & connector ends. I find
Probemaster to offer quality at good prices as they sell directly to their customers (shipping via USPS & UPS). Personally, I'd suggest looking at the modular 9000 series, as the connectors attach directly to the lead, not to a non-removable probe (probe adds weight to the test point = tends to slip off a lot more often).
Regarding supplies such as solder, wick, and additional flux, I'd suggest buying quality (better performance will reduce the number of issues with lifted pads and such, as well as reduced aggravation). Brands to look for would include Kester, Alpha Metals (Cookson), AIM (American Iron & Metals), Multicore/Henkel, MG Chemicals (particularly for liquid
Rosin 835 in 125ml bottles**), and Indium.
As per power supplies, I'm partial to quality used units. Particularly those with multiple outputs as you get a much better value & quality than new (i.e. pennies on the dollar vs. new prices). Some examples currently listed on eBay.ca:
* I'm guessing Franky is out of stock ATM (memberID = iloveelectronics).
** Dispensing can be done with a brush bottle (think nail polish bottle), brush pen (i.e BON-102; those on eBay are very likely counterfeits), needle bottle, or even just dip a small paint brush.