Confident stokes are the way to go! It's a difficult thing to demand when you start out, but you're far less likely to nick yourself than if your stroke is too tentative.
Cheap soap does not always mean it's a bad soap. One of my favourites is the European Palmolive cream. It's £1 a tube & is fantastic. They could work on the scent a little though! Watch some lathering video'svideo's & make sure that you're getting the right texture & consistency. If you can't clean all the lather out of the bowl with the brush, you're getting there.