You can often buy a full set of reasonably priced, double walled aluminum-rimmed wheels, often with stainless eyelets, and straight 14G stainless spokes for around 100-120 USD. But, good luck with your $25 rear wheel, and the false sense of the good economy it provides.
I rode on knurled steel rims from the 1970's for a while, and would never allow someone I love to do the same. Braking was abysmal, even with modern pads and well adjusted brakes. I remember that once my sister took it for a spin, to compare to her modern V-braked Specialized flat-bar road bike, and came back wondering if I had installed brake cables at all, even when it wasn't raining!