FWIW there's a balance between "cheap" and "not banging your head against the wall". Totally get not wanting to spend a ton on a first project before you even know if you'll stick with it, but going TOO cheap can be a self-fulfilling prophecy where the cheap parts make the build and end result miserable.
Where I 100% would NOT cut corners is the power supply for the steppers. Get a good one, ideally transformer-based (not DCDC/switch-mode). Steppers decelerating dump energy back into the PSU and can cause voltage spikes, especially with a DCDC supply with relatively small output caps (the transformer-based supplies already have large capacitors to keep the output relatively stable, so have fewer problems with this). If you do use a switch-mode supply, put a BIG capacitor on it, with a high voltage rating. I think I put a... 1000 uF/250V capacitor on mine after blowing up a driver board and a few "unkillable" GeckoDrive stepper drives. No issues after that.
Spending an extra $50 or something on a good PSU can save you hundreds in other killed electronics (not to mention time and sanity).
If absolutely nothing else, not getting the cheapest of the cheap-cheap no-name supplies is probably a good idea, just from a fire hazard perspective.
