Sorry for the confusion, what I meant to say was that there are some great point and shoots for $300, like the sony, nikon, and cannon. But if you wanted to up your budget a little and get a camera that will last you for the rest of your life (if you take care of it). Then spend a little more and get the D50 starter kit. I have the equivalent of the D200 from 1994 (film camera) and then my dad got one as a collage graduation present and he uses it for black and white pictures and it still works beautifuly.
I have been looking around for D50's and there aren't many places that carry them. I was just told by my photography buddy that they discontiued the production of the D50 because it was such a good camera that it was affecting the sales of their preimum cameras. If you can get your hands on one you will absolutely love it. Other wise the SLIGHTLY lesser equivilent is the D40 which you can get with the kit for around $750.
Point and shoot cameras are great, won't last as long as a DSLR, and not as good pics, but is perfect for everyday use.
Just some food for thought.