Figured I would necro this thread to share my experience and thank everyone for the tips they shared.
Based on all the information I read here, I ordered a Merkur 34C over the summer and the cheapo VDH kit. For a guy who normally gets evening stubble before it's noon, this turned out to be a great buy!
Shaving is much more enjoyable now, and I get closer and much more comfortable shaves without any of the neck irritation I had before.
My wife now makes my shave soap based on a tutorial on Badger and Blade and it has worked awesome! The most billowy, slick lather of any soap/cream I have tried.
Then I made my own pre-shave oil and post shave balm and picked up an alum block.
My first Straight Razor just arrivedl so now the fun really begins. Time to go all in!
I know traditional wet shaving has been gaining popularity lately, and for anyone who is on the fence, I can't recommend it enough...give it a shot for a month. Even if you don't like it, a starter setup won't put you back any more than a normal month's worth of cartridge crap.
I used to shave with a Gillette Fusion and in addition to my face I shave my head every 3 days or so. A cartridge used to last me about 4, maybe 5 days if I was lucky.
As a comparison, I just ordered a set of 100 Astra SP blades for my Merkur for about $12 shipped. One of those blades lasts me 4 days. That is a huge cost savings, more than enough to cover the new straight razor, fancier brush, etc.