I modded my Romisen RC-G2 Q3 5C by spraying some window frosting spray on the back of the lens . I lost quite a bit of throw and some lumens , but now the beam is smooth .
Beamshot .
Go to Solarforce-sales (dot) com and buy this :
Solarforce L2 1 Mode XM-L T6 Cree led 820 Lumens Flashlight COMBO SET
It's only $5 more than your budget , but you'll get great bang for the buck .
( At least look around there , lots of options )
For the house light , A Solarforce L2r ( 2 AA ) with 3 mode XPG R5 .
For EDC , An iTp A3 EOS or iTp A2 .
Both budget lights , and both thoroughly researched and liked by many .
Good luck with your search .
"... but I do think it's a shame that just because discussion is on a light cheaper than others it must automatically be moved to a forum where it is much less visible..."
Yep .
Same with the Ultrafire XML dropin ...