I am embarking on the same project but I have been taking things including bikes apart and putting them back together for decades. If you know what you want and shop around you can put a bike together for less money than a similarly equipped factory bike. You also get to pick exactly what you want to put on it. If you just buy a frame and a build kit it will be quite a bit more expensive. My bike all told is going to cost me around $1500 not including seat and pedals. You would have to spend at least $1800 (list) for a factory bike that is close and they all come with really cheap wheelsets so you would have to spend another $500 ( assuming you purchase from the LBS) to get the same ride. I agree with the advice to buy a cheap bike that needs rebuilt and learn on that. You can then sell it for a modest profit (or keep it) and then move on to bigger things. Learning about bike building while tinkering with a bunch of brand new expensive bike parts is sure to cause you to exercise the low end of your vocabulary and possibly exercise your credit card to replace damaged stuff.