A Nikonian seeking basic (wide-ish) prime advice

Regarding getting a zoom (like an 18-55 IS). She just needs to think of it as a 5 primes, i.e. 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 35mm, 55mm. Many use a zoom just as a lazy way of avoiding to walk a bit - and I guess that's one of the reasons a prime can be nicer, because it forces you to think and walk a bit to try things. Still, if you think of a zoom as several primes in one, you see a lens like the 18-55 IS is a great deal and you don't need to disregard a zoom just because it's a zoom. You just need to be disciplined when using it - One could put a sticker on the lens to keep it at one focal length for a day.