.75" drop? You could go with H&R's OE springs and some KYB GR2's if your looking for "cheap" When it comes to suspension there really isn't cheap if you want a decent ride & handling. Anything more than .75" drop I suggest at least Tokico HP's. It's better to spend the money on the struts than it is the springs but a good combination of both would be the best choice. I wouldn't suggest reusing your current struts since they have been used with junk springs & lowered too much.
The noise could be a number of things - spring collars rubbing on perches, upper mounts, struts, control arm bushings, tie rods, or ball joints. One way to know for sure is to check. The easiest way to do a front end inspection is to lift & support the front end with the tires off the ground. Grab the tires and shake in all direction listening for similar noises or feeling play. Usually a tire rocked front to back is a tie rod and rocked up and down is control arm bushings or ball joints. To check the upper mounts, springs, & struts you will need the car back on the ground and bounce it from each corner with the hood open and/or trunk depending where the noise is coming from.