I see it as a personality thing. I mean, I enjoy building almost as much as flying. Others I know hire out all their building and just fly. Still others dont fly all that much but spend gobs of time building.
If you enjoy the build, dont just buy kits. There are literally thousands of plans out there. Kit your own! Buy balsa from Balsa USA or Lone Star. They usually have bulk specials so you can stock up. The plans are typically full size and have all parts (bulk heads, ribs, etc.) drawn out that you simply copy over to a template and cut your own parts. Sure it takes longer and as stated above, will probibly cost more in the long run. But its a Hobbie and if you enjoy it, and can afford it, buy it! Beats a set of golf clubs IMHO> ;0)
Dave