To be honest, fightsticks aren't cheap. Best bet for beginners is to get a BrawlStick. Disregard the ass-ugly art and crap buttons, but should you feel like either of those need a revamp, they're both fairly easily modded. I picked up a Street Fighter IV Standard Edition stick when I first got into fighting games, and the stock buttons died within two weeks and had to get them replaced with Sanwas, which was about $20 in itself.

I personally use a MadCatz FightStick PRO modded with a PhreakMods Cerberus. All in all, that's about a $170 investment, but it's durable and works like a dream on PS3, 360, and PC. Another option is getting a FightPad, which provides a little more precision and comfort over a standard controller and won't even break the bank at $25.

That said, there's nothing wrong with playing pad or even keyboard, should you ever find a workaround for your ghosting issue, which I'm not an expert on, unfortunately. It all kinda depends on what you're willing to shell out and if you're really committed.