What kind of spokes are you running on? How heavy are you? Is it the front or back, or both? And how often? Rim width, tire size, riding style... Lots of variables here that you can tweak to suit your own situation. Generally, as you'd expect, you can sacrifice weight (thicker gauged spokes, more spokes, thicker rim, bigger tires @ lower psi) in order to get more durability.

The LBS I purchased my first bike from (Cannondale Quick CX 4 hybrid) pretty much tried to upsell me on heavier, 36h wheels. I was running 32/32 spokes. Perhaps you could do the same. $100 should get you a more durable rear.

Get a spoke wrench for sub-$10, spend some time on YouTube, and you can have one less problem in a few weeks.