I think the ability of changing the focal length is really overrated. I can usually plan what prime to carry based on what I'll be shooting (I never carry more than 2 primes). So for portraiture I choose my 100mm, for cats in the street on holiday it's a 200mm, for a hike in a scenic area or even a city it's a wide-angle, street shooting needs a wide-angle, and if I don't know I just pack the nifty fifty. Fast 50mm lenses are superb, especially in cloudy Reading where most of the year is overcast.
Variable focal lengths encourage lazy and sloppy shooting in beginners - they just zoom in by a random flick of the wrist, whereas when you're counting paces or moving your head back and forth the framing is far more calculated.
How many times have I been stuck with my slow 24-135mm zoom with flash popping up, low shutter speeds...a fast prime just does the job.
In summary, you need a wide-angle prime for street and landscapes, a short tele for portraits and a 50mm for everything else (put in a decent macro if you want as well). That's an affordable but very high quality setup.
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