Completing Tae Kim’s guide will familiarize you with virtually all of the commonly used formal, informal, and casual sentence patterns. By learning these in the beginning you will have an easier time understanding the sentences you add in the future. At the same time, you will be able to understand a good chunk of the set expressions used in movies, dramas, anime, on television, etc. Think of this as filler, not the meat (vocabulary).

Some have recommended splitting this guide, and doing some sections later. However, I believe that the sooner you become familiar with these patterns the less trouble you will have mastering them in the future. You are not expected to become proficient with each grammar point, becoming familiar with them is enough.

NOTE: The advanced sections have lots of grammar that you may not run into for some time. There are also a bunch of example sentences that are long, use difficult kanji, and not very useful. I recommend ignoring these examples.

see Japanese Grammar for more info

Japanesepod should be used specifically for audio comprehension. The dialogs are no holds barred, real Japanese. It is perfect for learning the context for when to use specific expressions. By using the podcasts together with the transcripts you will get a greater understanding of how to use many of the examples for TK. JPod is especially useful for beginners because the commentary sections of each podcast explain structures really well.

Note: When using JPod, use your discretion when mining sentences. There are many sentences use compound kanji that will be beyond your current level. I suggest picking and choosing. Focus on sentences that are used in general conversation.

see Japanesepod101 for more info

These should come from a variety of sources.

I recommend focusing on general use, spoken, and colloquial expressions. Avoid sentences that are too difficult.