You can go online and save money in the meantine. Their are good sites to learn from as long as you pay attention to the hand and fintering position so as not to develop bad habits.
The hand has to be parallel to the fingerboard. Just keep that in mind.
As for hte picking hand, start with the index and middle finger and use them by alternating the fingers just like a guitarist alternates using up and down strokes.
Here is a good link
http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/bass/lessons.html