well your choices for a combo will probably be
TM Afterburner II - cheap if you can find 1, does the job OK but ultimately the most limited in programming
Saitek of some sort - X45/X52/X52 Pro - more programmable than the AB II but not as much as the CH/Cougar
CH products - very reliable, extremely programmable,
TM Cougar - feels good (metal), extremely programmable, may not be the most reliable
Having handled all 4 I would say that you can probably narrow it down to the Saitek & CH choices.
Imo CH probably have the better stick but Saitek have the better throttle
As you're in the US there may not be a massive difference in price between an X52 Pro & a CH setup but an X52 would probably come in well under that.