Wow, I just came to the DIY forum to specifically post about homebrewing, and here's this thread.
I started homebrewing back in 2006. I did three extract batches then started all-grain. I brewed a fair number of all grain batches that turned out great. But life happened and I got out of the hobby. However, as of this week I'm back in business.
Yesterday I built a new cooler mash tun with a 48 quart cube cooler and a CPVC manifold (photo attached). Cost me less than $20 and 2 hours for the whole thing.
My planned brewing schedule
Wednesday - Dark English Mild (nobody brews these any more and they are awesome, so I plan to master the style)
Mid-March - Oatmeal Stout (pitched onto the Dark Mild's yeast cake)
Late March/early April - Maibock (I've got good lager fermenting temperatures in the basement)
Late April or May - Orval clone (I love Orval, but at $5/bottle, that's just too much to have more than just occasionally).
Depending on how the Orval clone goes, I may do another one on the previous yeast cake, or at least harvest some for later use.
In terms of brewing while keeping costs down, I will be doing lots of Milds. First of all, it's less ingredients, second it's quick to brew, thirdly I can keep re-using yeast for a few generations, especially if I top crop (hard to do with a carboy though, but I figure I can manage with a racking cane and tubing). I've also made an arrangement with a local restaurant to get bottles for free. I also plan to let no ingredients go to waste. I'm using home made or cheap equipment, so that cost is pretty low. A friend of mine is also growing hops and apparently there are far too many for him to use. I may be able to acquire some for free, but they may limit my style selection.
I'll post some photos here when I have some batches going.