Hi GThomas. Welcome to PMTS, which is the only comprehensive program bringing the efficient, effective movements used by the world's best skiers (World Cup racers) to everyday, recreational skiers.
GThomas wrote:I plan to learn and when on snow start from scratch again and rebuild from the ground up.
Exactly right. Skiing movements or habits you developed in the past may be (usually are) incompatible with efficient skiing. Those movements or habits must be un-learned before you can progress, so starting from scratch is correct. As the Good Witch told Dorothy, "It's always best to begin at the beginning."
The beginning for every PMTS skier is ACBAES1, book and DVD... as Todd recommended. Start on page 1 and do not skip any exercise or drill, no matter how simple it seems. The progression was carefully planned by HH to train your body in certain movements, then integrate them with the next movement, etc. Skipping ahead tends to leave gaps in muscle memory, which can lead to difficulties or incorrect movements later on. So, master each drill before proceeding to the next.
As Jim noted, doing the drills in front of a mirror or on video is important. You'll see it posted a thousand times here: your feelings about what you think your body is doing while skiing are NOT reliable. A year ago I was videoed skiing for the first time. I was shocked and sobered at just how many ineffective movements I was making without being aware of them. As you progress through each PMTS drill, get objective, visual confirmation that you're doing it correctly.
As you're on a budget (and even if you weren't), I suggest visiting the HSS website ("HSS" link at the top of the page). Click on "Learn Online", then on "FREE! Online Lesson". The questionnaire will lead you to a series of YouTube videos. Do them in order when you can, but watching them all is great introduction to PMTS basics. You can also go to YouTube directly and search for "Harb Teach-Yourself Series", which will bring them up.
Harald's passion is bringing expert skiing to anyone who's serious about learning. He and Diana have provided a wealth of information, much of it for free on YouTube. Take advantage of that.