I need help creating a website

[f|uke]

Hey guys. I want to throw up a really basic, vanilla flavored website for fire technology students.

To start with, all I want is a forum.

Heres what I need to know,.. what bulletin software can I use that is free or cheap, how do I go about learning to set it up, and what is a good service provider in the US with cheap rates for low consumption sites?

Thanks in advanced.