Hi Mom to 4, I cannot afford someone to quilt my tops for me either, I would like to try machine quilting some time in the future but for now I am hand quilting. (Just new to it) I made a top Qsize and thought this would take for ever to quilt. It took me about a month to quilt just working on it when ever I could, which is not bad for a first quilt and a large size too. I always thought I would not have the patience to do this but I actually enjoyed the process. It does not cost much to hand quilt, I use a hoop. If you are trying to keep your costs down I would recommend it, you just have to be patient. I realise this method is not for everyone, you either like it or not!
I keep my costs down by buying second hand fabrics etc and hand quilting, just because I cannot afford to buy the latest fabrics from my LQS does not mean I cannot make nice quilts.
Gal