it depends on how much cash u have to spend regarding what equip to get. due to lots of new gear out there, the "oldy but goody" crafted armor has significantly gone down in price. at lvl 9 i think you would be happy with a full set or close to it. the prices in the bazaar should be quite decent (most pieces below 200 or 100p).

if you are willing to put a little more time in, use the stat finding tools in the bazaar search engine. try and find cheap items that will up your stats for the best bang for your buck (AC, str, sta, and agi, and HP's prolly best to look into upping atm). also, make sure to search in the evening when more traders are on... better selections and better prices.

lastly, you want some nice weapons to complement your new gear. again, if cheap is the name of your game, try to get a centi shortsword... still a great weapon for the damage output (12/25). they usually go for around 200p or even less. also, when it comes time for dual wield, don't forget to check out the piercers for a nice dmg/dly weapon to go in your primary. (crystalline spider fang is awesome example 10/22 w/ a proc and a couple stats. and they sell for 100p or so.)

all told, i think you would be very surprised how far even 600p will take you in your shopping endevours (again, assuming a very low budget). when you and your druid friend get around lvl 40, head to rathe mountains (off of feerott) and hunt giants... u can easily clear 1000p in a 2 hour session... as long as its not welfare week lol.

and there-in ends my thoughts on your choices. best of luck and have fun!