How to store data created with vb.net

2 months ago i decided to start learning programming. I bought Visual basic.net Standard, version 2003 and a learning book called "beginning with visual basic.net.
The learning is going quite well (in my own opinion) but i have come to a point that i need to start to learn how to store and restore data i create in my applications. I don'n know what program to buy to build a database. My book claims that i need Microsoft Access 2000 and Visual studio.net with Crystal Reports. I don'n have Access (not yet) and i cant find information about Crystal Reports on my computer. Can anyone give me a hint of what to do?

You don't need Crystal Reports , at least now. Get MS Access that's all what you need besides VS.NET .

you could go with MySQL, its free... and a true database.

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/4.0.html

You can store data to normal files as well as databases. Just to make the point.

Serialization.