Hey buddy here is what i think (for what its worth)...

--- In TX i stick with corn in the feeder, its cheap and deer around here like it. Dont go broke in the 8th grade.
--- If you are hunting a flat area go with a ground blind, they are a heck of a lot of fun to hunt and easy to build without a lot of expense. Otherwise i would go with a ladder for a guy your age, they are not to hard to move, safe, and fairly cheap also
--- as far as a little rattle durring the rut... it can be effective and if you are going to have a chance to hunt a lot try it out especialy if there is a lot of land, but the truth is deer will move so much around here durring the rut try to sit your stand as long and as quiet as possible.
---Try gummiebears for a snack they are good as H-E-L-L and lucky too!

Good luck bud