Official Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know about photography or cameras! Don't be shy! Newbies welcome!

I have a Canon EOS M50 with the kit lens. I want to buy a new lens, but I don't really know how to shop for one… I am pretty new to photography, so I'm in a "I don't know what I don't know" zone. My budget is between $100-$400. I like taking pictures of my dog, things around the house/yard, nature shots on road trips. My initial thought is I want something with a low f-stop, more than, say, a telephoto lens. I'm going to buy three or four from Amazon to try out and return the ones I don't want. Any favorites for that price range that you can recommend? Will I see a noticeable improvement over the kits lens for something in that price range, or is the kit lens comparable to what I would end up with with that budget?

/r/photography Thread