If you're trying to go the minimum-cost route, do look into a French press; ~$15 with no filters, nothing else to buy ever.
I have a French Press. Don't use it much though since it's kind of a hassle to clean in my opinion. At least more so than just rinsing the little pour over holder and cleaning up a paper filter. I use the press when I need to make more coffee at once and use it for guests. Don't have a drip maker anymore.
I'll look at the burr grinder though even if it's a cheap one. What do you use for grinding StarHalo? And did you notice a big improvement in taste if you upgraded to a burr grinder that gave you more consistent grinds? I use a blade grinder now with good results, but some absolute coffee nuts swear that it will be the second coming of [insert preferred chosen one] when one changes to a decent burr grinder.