Ok, so you're excited about starting to build and do things on your own. What do you need to start off?
Tools, Materials, and a Workspace
TOOLS:
For my first project, I ended up borrowing a lot of tools from my parents. I had my own drill and hammer, but I borrowed their circular saw and sander. These will get you pretty far as long as you're patient with your cuts, measure twice, and all that jazz. However, unless you've got wonderful people that don't mind you imposing on them a bit, you're going to eventually need your own tools. Lowes and Home Depot have some pretty good package deals, or you can get them refurbished online by the manufacturer. Do some digging, google is your friend, and find a deal that works best for you and your family's budget.
MATERIALS:
You'd be surprised what you can get for free. Pallets are everywhere, and many times they're good wood! Most businesses end up trashing their pallets, sending tons and tons to the landfill each year. I'm not the greenest person alive, but if I can use something that's going in the trash, they might as well just give it to me.
Pallets take about a half-hour a piece to tear them down (well, after you know what you're doing...before that it'll probably take you 45min-1hr). But once you get them torn down, you've got some nice building materials to work with. I highly recommend taking a peak at this website if you're interested in working with pallets: http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/06/24/woodworking-with-pallets-a-guide-to-finding-breaking-down-and-building-with-pallets/
Craigslist is also your friend. It is going to take some time to browse through everything, but you wouldn't believe what some people are selling for cheap (or throwing away in some cases).
Also, if you can find a business that gets a lot of server deliveries, you're in for a treat. Big server towers come in big wooden boxes that have tons of usable 1/4 plywood, 1x4's and even some awesome 3/4inch plywood. And the hardware, boy oh boy! Off of 1 server box, I got 30+ 2 inch screws, two smaller hinges, one big hinge, 4 thick bolts and 4 good metal latches. At Lowes or Home Depot, that would probably cost me 30-40 bucks (Not that I've done a comparison or anything, I'm guessing). I was able to get my hands on 3 of the server boxes for FREE. Now don't get me wrong. The wood is rough, and it took a lot of sanding to get it into usable shape, but I don't mind the workout (Not to mention I desperately *need* the workout).
Now I'm lucky, I work at a place that orders server towers about once a month, but if you do some shopping, maybe phone some Facilities and Building Managers at local businesses, I'm sure you could find a place that's willing to let some of them go.
WORKSPACE:
Now this is the part where I had to get inventive. Lots of people have a home big enough to set aside a room for a workspace...unless you're like me and live in a *tiny* house. My wife was gracious enough to let me use the office for awhile, but that didn't work out, so now I do most of my work on the porch. If you're really into the pallet idea, here is a link to make a shed out of pallets: http://summerville-novascotia.com/PalletShed/ But you've got to be pretty hard-core to do that. I certainly DO NOT reccommend that idea if you're new to construction.
Work anywhere you can.
You really can DIY on a lot of projects. It takes some creativity, lots of hard work, and the desire to educate yourself on what's available to you. There is much more out there than you think.
Some resources to get you started:
http://www.ana-white.com/ (EXCELLENT SITE FOR FREE PLANS AND ADVICE)
http://www.thedesignconfidential.com/
Now go build something!
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