Learn hiragana, then katakana, then kanji, while learning to speak and building vocabulary at the same time.

What is the best way to learn all of these considering I can't move out and go to Japan, nor do I have money to pay a teacher. Should I use books, If so do you have any recommendations, and if you could provide a link to where I could buy them that would be much appreciated.

Genki. It's on Amazon, I am sure.

that is right, I often come up with similar words to the portuguese language, the chinese language, also seems to have words comming from the portuguese, funny ^^

How long did it take any of you to learn japanese, enough to be able to be able to survive in Japan?

Well I think it depends of the people,
I am still learning it, the level where I am now, wouldnt get me anywhere in japan, but normally when Im around some place where people speak all this "language" I easily start to get it, before comming to england I didnt knew a word of english I didnt even want to learn it, in a few weeks I was already able to speak the basic in my day life...
But well if I dont go to japan to learn the language then it will take me a long time to learn it, and to be able to speak the basics ^^

Another question, from my understanding, you use hiragana when writing native words, and katakana for words adopted from other cultures. So, gyuunyuu would be written in hiragana, where as miruku would be written in katakana. Is that correct?

Yes...that is correct. Though most people would write MILK in kanji.

Ok, thanks..................................................................... ....dot dot dot.......... hmm

i think if u want to get really fluent in a east asian language, for most westerners you'll easily take up to 3 years if you're not in the native country. im singaporean, so i speak english and mandarin, which is why i think im able to read and understand a full series of manga with little reference to the dictionary. i cant say for the kanji script cos its skewed in my favour, but for the basic grammar/hiragana/katakana should take you no more than a year to master if you work hard enough at it. that said, not being able to read kanjis is as good as just writing with your left hand when you're right handed. it turns out illegible and hard to understand (:

それでも、頑張ってください！日本語の勉強は楽しいで すよ　（：