I just wanted to share my experience so far and thank all you ladies for all the advice and insights, I'd probably have panicked once or twice without it.
Oh, and I'm getting myself some cloth liners. My boyfriend and I don't do laundry very often (and need to go to the laundromat) so I was hesitant, but I figured that if I'm just using them for back-up it should be fine. I've been trying to change some things in my life for the better, and part of that is making my period a little happier :)