You can save a lot by using recycled timber and by machining it yourself. Hell, you can save heaps maching it yourself if you buy new!

One forum member doesn't own a thicknesser but does all that work using a number 7 (I paid for a cheap thicknesser and it has paid for itself over the years).

Another cut everything using a hand saw, and he built a lapstrake boat (borrowed my Dad's circular saw and invested in a Triton work bench). I've successfully done some ripping recently using my jigsaw ... because the Triton is stuck in the back of the shed thanks to the boats An ultra cheap table saw will still do the job if you make up a good fence.

Yes, buying such power tools is pricey and I certainly couldn't afford to at the moment, but the amount of freedom you're buying and the amount you save makes it worth buying whatever you can afford.

Then there's the selection of timber. Recycled is good. With epoxy encapsulation, you can use damnd near anything, even that horrible radiata pine they sell in our local hardware stores.

Just some random thoughts.

Richard