Just to put things into perspective - my first products:
Razor - vintage Dubl Duck, $90 (could have got something cheaper, but what the hell)
Strop - Tony Miller, $75 (again, could have got something cheaper, but it was a TM for a good price)
Brush - Vulfix pure badger, $35, and a great brush to boot
Soap - Proraso Green, $9
Lather bowl - $2, from Army & Navy
A/S - Nivea, $10
Styptic pencil - $2
For the princely sum of $223 I had a full set up. Not including the future costs of soap and aftershave (plus a barbers hone for perhaps $20) I would have been more or less set for life. Of course it goes without saying that it would be easy to spend a lot more or a lot less than that for a starter kit. That's the beauty of this hobby, and the point that I think you have missed: it is what you make of it.