Light therapy on a budget - questions

Okay, so I'm thinking about trying light therapy to augment everything else I'm doing for depression. Actually I have thought about it before, but the cost of light boxes and dawn simulators is pretty steep, many of them costing hundreds of dollars.

So, can you get the same lux just from regular light bulbs? What about a fluorescent lamp at maybe 8 inches from the eyes, wouldn't that be pretty much the same as a light box?

Or there are dawn simulators. This strikes me as more useful to me. I don't have winter Seasonal Affective Disorder so I don't think increased light exposure will help me, in fact I often find sunny days annoying. But a dawn simulator might be more what I want especially for regulating my circadian rhythms and getting me to wake up in the morning. But they are also expensive.

Couldn't I just set my alarm for about 30 minutes before I wake up, turn on a light myself, and then go back to sleep? There's my dawn right there. :lol Anyone knowledgeable on the subject?