Welcome to the money pit hobby! Plenty of us started this with the same intentions of saving money and building a slow cruiser. Best of luck to you on not building a board after board after board. That said what is your total budget on this build? I started this 10 years ago and off the shelf Chinese boards have gotten really good for a low price (tariffs may ruin in though). If you enjoy building, this is gonna be fun!
Add a location to your profile. Where are you located? If you happen to be in the US, I might have some stuff for you. You can look at the “Cheap or Free” thread and ask around to see if there are any parts you can get for less https://forum.esk8.news/t/wanted-items-cheap-or-free