go to walmart and buy orchid mix...It is 7 bucks and you can buy a bag of peat and perlite for about 3 bucks ea.
so all you need for a plant for 13.00 this is enough perlite and peat to go with about 6 bags of orchid mix.
1 bag is good for 3 gallon pot...oh yeah, you should layer lava rock in bottom of pot.

I use orchid mix 50% perlite 30% peat moss 20%

It works great...If you cannot afford this then go to true value or the dollar store and buy pure topsoil (hyponex is the brand around here)1.49-1.99 a bag...follow above recipe substituting,
hyponex for orchid mix.

Look at my NL#2 pic...or sneekpeek thread in the hydro forums...the potted plants the pix are growing in 1.49 hyponex topsoil, perlite & peat...works for me also. lw