As the name states, I'm looking at buying myself some hones, as sending a razor away to be honed is expensive and slow for me, way down here in New Zealand. Being a student, I'm trying to do this for cheap, which means no fancy Asagi, DMT, Shapton 30K or Nakayama hones for me. Instead, I need some cheap, simple hones that will do the job fast and well. Having been on here a wee while now, I think I know what I'm going to need (feel free to correct me if I'm sadly mistaken), but was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to my proposed purchases.

Bevel-setting: The ubiquitous Norton 4/8K (I've found it at Woodcraft for 80USD - does anyone know of anywhere cheaper?)

Polishing: Chinese 12K (aka People's Hone of Indeterminate Grit)

Loupe: a 30x loupe for edge inspection - $8 pp from a site that slips my mind right now

Questions:
- I know 1k stones are used by a lot of the honemeisters here, but are they really necessary for bevel setting, or will my 4/8K be enough for that? If a 1k is needed, which would you recommend, and where's the cheapest to purchase said 1k from?

- I'm after a polishing stone that doesn't require a ridiculous number of laps to put that final edge on my razor - is there something faster than a C12K out there that will put a comparable edge on a razor? And if so, how much more cash am I going to be looking at shelling out for that hone, compared to the 20USD for the C12K? Alternatively, would buying one of the C12K slurry stones from the SRP classifieds be a good way to make the hone cut faster and put a good final edge on a razor?

- Am I able to lap with just basic 3M Wet/Dry sandpaper in a range of grits? I see people talking about using special films or lapping plates, but am worried about having to shell out heaps of cash for these necessities (just checked the price on a DMT lapping plate and had to have a wee sit-down!).

Thanks in advance for the replies which I anticipate will simply flood in for this extremely exciting topic.