I'm a beginner too with Sans. I ask the same question earlier. There are about 9 responses to my question. It's posted lower on this same page. You might read those, seems lots of Perlite. I have a plant that has just sat there for about 2 or 3 years also, I think my fear of over-watering has been its problem.

I'm pretty new to these as well and have experienced the same problem. Extreme fear of overwatering. Now they all get a good soaking once a week and never go bone dry. What a difference a little water can make ;-)
I do use some additional perlite in the potting soil.

If you are worried about overwatering, I would definitely suggest bare, unglazed clay pots. They are porous and allow moisture to seep out as well as letting air to the roots. I like to add perlite in my mix because it is cheap, readily available, doesn't hold water, and doesn't really compact. A lot of people think it is unattractive, but I usually top dress with some river gravel or something similar and you can't see any perlite floating around. Another good ingredient is cactus and succulent mix. This stuff tends to have larger particles of bark and stuff and drains pretty well. Combine such a mix with the unglazed clay pot and you won't have to worry much any more about overwatering. HTH, good luck!

Josh