Hello. My question is about creating a simple site with php & MySQL database and several simple webpages.
What is the way to do that?

METHOD #1
1) buy cheap space on linux/unix server with MySQL (no more than $30 per several months - is it possible?)
2) create a Table there in the database on that server
3) practice in writing web-pages using Notepad and html, php languages with sql queues to that database (using Internet if I don't know how to do that).

OR

METHOD#2
1) set up an emulator of server on my computer (My desktop has Windows XP)
2) Download MySQL as well.
3) Set it up together
4) practice in writing web-pages using Notepad and html, php languages with sql queues to that database
5) buy hosting and upload everything to the server.


Does method 1 really works? Or programmers and developers usually use the second method?


Thank you.
Sorry for this quesion, I'm new to that.