Want advice on good all-around lens

[Hondo]

Hi everybody-

I shoot a lot of portraits of friends, family and animals, and currently
only have a 35-80 Nikkor lens that came with my N60. Could someone
please suggest a good lens for portraits, while keeping cost low? I was
looking at a Nikon 50mm 2.8, which I think sells for a little over $100.

Thanks for the help-

Brian