I only started doing this a little while ago too, and here's what I did:
First, I joined some programs that have no minimum payout. These are ones like Opt-In Pays, Web-Earners, ReadThemWell. They automatically send your payment at the end of the month to your PayPal account. It's never very much money, but it encourages you!
Then, I joined some programs that give you a signup bonus - it makes me feel like I'm earning something! I have a spreadsheet on my computer that tells me which programs I have joined, how much I have earned from them, and how much change there is since the beginning of the week.
For example, I log into my account, and look at "My Current Earnings", and put that amount on my spreadsheet. Then, a few days later, I do it again, and see if I've made any money. If I've belonged to a program for a while, and I haven't earned any money, I might just decide to forget that program and move onto something else. (I have 2 programs now that send me eMails to read, but never have paid links in them. They are a waste of time, really)
On my spreadsheet, I keep track of my earnings, so I know when I'm close to payout. I add up all my earnings everyday, so I get a total.
Two weeks ago, I decided I had to make $1.00 everyday. Last week, my target was $2 per day, this week it's $3 per day. If I don't click or read enough to earn $3 per day, I go join a program with a signup bonus! Next week it'll be $4 per day.
But it is almost impossible to do without a downline builder, like the one here at GetPaidForum. There are other forums out there, too!
Good Luck! And after you've made some money, you can do some advertising, but wait til you're paid at least once! And advertise your best program, which might not be the ones with the lowest payout.