Building up a lighting kit

Here are my recommendations for a portable, one light/flash kit.
#1
Westcott light stand 7.5 ft $29.90 free ship

#2
Impact umbrella adapter $13.95 + $4.95 ship

#3
Your choice of flash (if going the manual route) ~$100 used
Look on ebay for an SB-24, SB-28, SB-28dx, or SB-80dx.
Since they already have a PC port, you won't likely need to buy any adapters.

#4
Westcott silver lined umbrella 43" $20.20 + $4.95 ship

#5
Your choice of flash trigger $20 - $250

I currently use the recommended light stand, umbrella adapter, and silver umbrella. This is good for starters. If you already have a flash lying around, you might need an adapter for the flash to communicate with your chosen triggering system; different flashes will probably need different adapters - some universal, some proprietary. I recommend the flashes listed in #3 because they have PC ports built in and almost all triggers come with some way of connecting to the PC port.