Hello ele,
As it seems you have already discovered, the absolutely fastest, cheapest, and most secure for a new guy (with a U.S. checking account) to get Bitcoins in your wallet is:
1.) sign up for Chase Quickpay (or Popmoney is another good option too)
2.) post a bid in #bitcoin-otc offering to buy BTCs with Quickpay
3.) buy from a trusted member of the OTC trading community, and watch your new Bitcoins pop up in your wallet in a matter of minutes!
Glad I could help.