Brush & Soap available locally & cheap
Some Walmart's carry a $8 brush, bowl & soap set. The soap is VDH deluxe (Vahhusen ?), the brush is boar but works, the bowl is just a rice bowl, but is easier to make lather in than a mug. If your Walmart doesn't carry it, try pharmacies. The CVX by me carries the same VDH brush and Williams soap (I liked the VDH soap much better - it was slicker / more lubricating (less razer burn) and didn't dry out as fast on my face (straight razor shaving is slow at first...) I use a large capacinno / soup mug as a lathering bowl and it works fine.