i built my own wheels, it was fun, rewarding, and a learning experience... don't you want to learn about bikes?
i spent more on building the wheels than i would have spent if i just bought some wheels, but not too much more...
remember, once you build the wheel, remove tension and retension, repeat that process twice, the wheel should last longer that way! and don't forget to gunk the spoke threads with plumbers grease so they don't get locked up when you go to do some maintenance on them in a year.