You know, I thought about one other thing. I don't like spending any more than I have to for an acceptable quality level. I have no problem using 105 or even Tiagra components where they are more or less an equal quality level. Sometimes the only difference is that the cheaper stuff weighs more. That doesn't bother me. Sometimes I even wonder if I spent too much on certain things like the Chris King rear hub on my Paul Taylor? A 105 hub probably would have worked fine and cost one-fourth as much.
I bought some Microshift integrated shifters recently rather than Shimano because I could get them for $106 which is way cheaper than anything Shimano. If they work out, they're a steal. If not, then lesson learned.
The point being that, I am value-conscious. Just like the person who started this thread. However, there is an acceptable quality floor.
Cheap department bikes do not meet that quality floor in my experience. I have lots of bikes and ride lots of miles and I know the difference. Cheap stuff costs more than what I would consider value priced stuff because in the end the cheap stuff breaks and you have to go back and buy the stuff you should have bought in the first place.
What I would recommend to someone who wanted to not spend more than $350 and didn't want to buy used, would be to buy NOS parts on eBay and piece it together bit by bit. Look for 9 speed Shimano stuff from previous generations of 105 level gear. And look for a bare frame to put them on. Check out a book on bicycle maintenance from the library. And do it all yourself, and be happy with the results.