Right now I don't have the means to get a grow light? Can I even use a regular lamp or is it a waste of time?
If you looking to not to spend alot of money just go with a few cfl's and have a micro grow just get the hang of everything.
Why not just go with a few cfl's then man. They aren't to bad priced and are pretty easy to install because you can put them in a standard socket.
Many grow with CFLs...so yes you can grow with a regular lamp. If your short on cash though its best to just wait till you have some saved up. You will need this or that, soil, food, etc. All of that costs. Being unprepared usually equates to issues and fail most of the time. Cannabis takes a while to grow so be a shame to waste all that time for it to die.
Best is an empty 4 feet long closet, with 3 cfl's hanging per plant in plastic buckets filled with dirt, that whole op will cost you less than $20.00 bucks start saving "V"
Sonic: If by a 'regular lamp' you mean an incandescent bulb, sure you can. It 'll work but it will use a lot of electricity and that's what you have to pay for. You might want to try a CFL. You can get them pretty cheap now at places like Walmart or the 99 cents store. But when you can afford it please consider T-5's. I wish I had years ago.I hope that helps. Hank