the only way to save money by building is to find all your parts at a discounted price....u also dont need the expensive tool...i put my ar together using normal tool...allen wrenches as punches and channel locks, needle nose pliers..just cover your seen parts with electrical tape so they dont scratch...the upper i just custom ordered..
I did a custom rock river match grade stainlees steel heavy barrel, full length quads, BCM gunfighter charging handle, rock river 2 stage match lower with magpull acs stock...1100 bucks...u can buy a rock that is similar for 1050 but it has basic stock, standard charging handle, aluminum tube
by building your own you save in the long run cuz you can by the parts you want as you go instead of buying an 800 dollar gun then ditching the stock, forend, trigger group, grip for upgraded parts...so if u just want a basic run of the mill AR just buy one out of the box for 6-800 bucks...if you want a custom bada** AR built to your specs build it yourself and save