This is a guide to obtain your own Monero as of 20150919. This is perhaps the easiest way to purchase and hold Monero.
####Step 1: Buy Bitcoin
There are many ways to buy Bitcoin. Perhaps the easiest way is through circle.com. Once you have purchased some Bitcoin, you are ready to buy some Monero! Buying Bitcoin is straightforward. Please goto circle.com and just follow the instructions there.
MyMonero.com is an online wallet for Monero, maintained by Monero Core Developer Ricardo Spagni (fluffpony). It is the easiest wallet to use. Simply go to MyMonero.com and click on the "Create an Account" button.
Copy your address to the clipboard by highlighting the whole thing and hitting ctrl+c (or edit menu, copy), or clicking the little icon next to your address. Save your address somewhere. This is how others will send Monero to you, and what you will use to deposit Monero into your account!
#### Step 3: Buy Monero and transfer the Monero to your new address
Go to www.shapeshift.io . On the righthand side, of the screen, click icon under "Receive" to select Monero.