I'm interested in picking up some Steem too. Looks like you have to buy with Bitcoins or something similar. To do this you will need an account with a company such as Coinbase. If you're going to use Coinbase, like most beginners I hear, then when opening your account be sure to photograph your passport or i.d. with your phone.
I tried to upload a saved image a couple of times today which was an error and I now have to wait 24 hours before I can proceed with opening the account.
Good luck.
If this was helpful please up vote, follow and take a look at some of my posts. I'm a newbie too.
T