This is a hobby, hobbies aren't cheap. I look at it like this. For the cost of a boutique pedal it's worth it to make your own. For the cost of some used pedals it's cutting it close. I would still rather make a phase90 for 35 dollars and learn about the circuit rather than get a used one for 35 or 50 bucks. This is just components though. Take into account tools and it's expensive at first.
But most people start slow, build up tools and supplies over time as they advance their knowledge and skill set. Cheap pedals like mosky, Moore and joyo are cheap. Terrible construction, reliability and never last terribly wrong. What I like about this hobby is learning. You learn how most pedals are just derivatives of something earlier and a few components apart from eachother. I like the journey of finding my sound thru building. Learning what I like and what I thought I liked I really don't. When you build you can make it look and sound how you want, use the parts you want and make it with quality parts and more reliable. You can also make it cheaper to, no one said you had to use powdercoated uv printed enclosures. That wasn't available when I started, we had spray paint, waterslide or worse...dymo and sharpie on bare boxes.
My favorite part of this hobby is being able to make rare, obsolete, expensive and obscure effects. It's very rewarding. I built a deluxe memory man for around 100 dollars but I can't get one for that price with the quality and sound that I put into mine. It's not the cheapest hobby but there are more expensive ones. Building guitars and amps is way more expensive but equally rewarding.
