I have a '78 Raleigh Rampar 12 speed I got from my parents but it is waaaay too heavy. I don't need the gears as I ride around in LA suburbs where its pretty much totally flat. I decided a fixie would be the best for me but it's going to be my first one and I'm not really sure where to start. Should I convert my current bike or start from scratch and build it myself? The restrictions are that I have an extremely tight budget as I just moved here and am still unemployed. If starting from scratch is the best or there is a good pre-built bike out there I'd really appreciate suggestions.
Thanks all!

you can convert the bike and learn about the different components and how a bike works. or you can just buy a premade fixie from bikesdirect. either way will cost you about the same in the end.

Well I'd rather build it myself, so can anyone help me with what parts I will need to do it?

it might be a good idea to replace the cranks if they have cotter pins. also, you might want to get an inexpensive set of track wheels, which will also help you shed a lot of weight. remove all excess stuff (rear brake, derailleurs, shifters, derailleur cables, etc). you'll need to pick up a cog and lockring.

don't destroy the raleigh and build something from scratch

Can you post some pics to see what you are working with? I would start reading here: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html and see what you can salvage off the old bike to make it useable as a fixed gear.

So I think I'm just going to go with a temporary single speed conversion for now based on this guy's specs

Here is a couple pics of what I'm working with, I definitely am going to save up for a fixie conversion. Probably keep surfing craigslist for some old frames and keep an eye out for garage sales and such.