One good way is to go into your local cigar shop and just shoot the sh!# with the guy, and have him recommend something to you. More often than not, the guys working there are VERY knowledgable, and have FNG smokers in all the time. One of the great things about cigars is that there are so many brands, sizes, and flavors, that you can constantly be trying new things. I had the guy at the shop recommend a Rafael Gonzalez smoke to me not too long ago, it was their pantella line, and it was fantastic. Within a week of smoking it I went back and bought the remainder of his box to put in my humidor. These are priced around $5 a pop, and might be a good solution if you're worried about prices.
And don't worry so much about price, you can get some fantastic smokes in the 3-6 buck range. (And I agree with the above poster saying to stick to smaller ring guages, but to each his own)
Steer clear of those captain black/century same/backwoods type of cigars that you can grab at the gas station. They will generally leave you with a bad experience, basically saying "yup, its a cigar, no big deal" rather than "wow that tasted great".
Storage is very important with cigars. When you buy it, toss it in a tuberwear container or zip lock bag with a damp paper towel or something in their for moister (make sure they don't touch). Before I got my humidor, I'd use tuberware for the cigar, then put the damp towel in a zip lock bag and toss it in, but not sealing the bag. Depending on who you ask, this method is good for anywhere from a day to few weeks. I've used this method for one or two weeks at a time personally, and had no issues (you're probably only going a few days I assume?).
HitOrMiss, I've got a R&J No 2 and a No 3 in my humidor that my sister gave me for xmas. You've talked me into trying the No 2 the next time I get an hour to sit down.
