My Mom and I used to make soap together when I was growing up, we used olive and coconut oil. We added dried herbs or oatmeal for fragrance/scrubbing. It definately wasn't cheaper than Ivory, even with buying the ingredients in bulk, but it was cheaper than buying an equivalent quality product.
As for molds, we bought some large 'tupperware' cake pans from the thriftstore, dried it in blocks, and cut it into bars.
I still make homemade soap occasionally but I mostly make it for my dog. She loves to roll in stinky stuff, and peppermint soap is much cheaper and better for her sensitive skin than 'dog shampoo.' It also lasts much longer and is easier to use.
There are probably soap recipe books at your library. I would recommend following the recipies exactly a couple times before you experiment.
Oh, and when working with lye, keep a couple lemons on hand in case of contact. The acid in lemon juice neutralizes the alkilinity. (sp?)