You do need to get started. I would suggest the following.

First, grab a sample of your water and set it aside.
Then get a couple of gallons of bleach (not perfumed... just regular bleach) - check the label to make sure it's 6% or 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Some low-end brands are 2 or 3%... avoid them.
Walk around the pool and pour the bleach into the pool as you walk. This will help distribute it more evenly. If you can run your pump, run it.

Now take your water sample to a pool store, and ask them if they can test your water. They will happily test it for you. While they are testing, see if they have a small DPD-based 5-way or so test kit that can test for chlorine, pH, TA, and maybe CYA. That should get you going.

With the test done, they will give you the results and tell you that you need chlorine, shock, stabilizer, ph-up or ph-down or ph-sideways, probably some clarifier, algaecide, and maybe a couple of other things. They may even be having an end-of-season sale and boy, will they have a deal for you.

Thank them for the test and recommendations, tell them that you have to check with your spouse before you buy anything, or that you have a cousin with a pool and you want to mooch all of his chemicals first, or something. Buy the test kit, take the results printout, and head home.
Post your results here.