Before you become a remodeling do-it-yourselfer, reap significant savings by being a buy-it-yourselfer. No architect, builder, or designer can spend your money as frugally or with more creativity than you.

Many remodelers set their heart on one particular budget-busting element -- it might be granite counters, upscale appliances, or a luxurious spa. That high-cost item will become more affordable if you surround it with great-looking but less-expensive materials. Here are some trade-off strategies to help you with shopping:

Scenario #1: You discover an incredibly rich Italian marble that you have to have for your remodeled kitchen. But at $175 a foot, the stone crushes your budget. What to do?

Substantial savings await those who keep their old cabinet cases and avoid moving the plumbing wall. Instead of investing in new cabinetry, limit your purchase to a set of new doors (save more by finishing and hanging them yourself). Also, leave the cooking center where it is and avoid paying to open up walls to relocate utility lines and vent ducting.

Or, you might have your heart set on the reverse: top-of-the-line cabinets. Scout salvage yards, specialty stores, or large home centers for marble tiles as a trade-off. You'll have seams to grout, but marble tiles can be found sometimes for $5 a square foot or less. Save on appliances, too, by purchasing versatile mid-price models with performance that nearly matches that of higher-priced, commercial-style equipment.

Scenario #2: If you want a jetted spa that's easy on the wallet, most manufacturers now make models that will fit in a 5-foot space -- the standard tub size through the 1970s. These models are reasonably priced, and no bathroom walls have to move to make space for a whirlpool bath.

With the spa in place, put up new bathroom tile. To save money here, search for a bargain on white or another common tile to be used as the dominant field tile in your design. Neutral-colored tiles sell for as little as 25 to 50 cents apiece. Within this inexpensive field, place a few specialty tiles. An artistic fish mural may set you back $250, but you'll have very little invested in the rest of the wall.

Next, spend lunch hours or lazy Saturdays roaming home centers, salvage yards, and independent plumbing stores looking for that perfect (and perfectly priced) faucet and porcelain bowl. Don't overlook kitchen and bath design stores -- they often discount display models on a wide range of products.

Scenario #3: After a Parade-of-Homes afternoon where you've seen dozens of exotic designs, you may be inspired by the custom glass surrounding a spectacular entry. Can you duplicate the look?

Make the rounds of window dealers and look for standard windows that are close to what you want. Most major window manufacturers now offer such a wide range of standard sizes that you can recreate a fabulous look and still remain within your budget.