First, I don't want to ever here about how tight anyones budget is! I was surfing the web, and found this site

And,I thought I was on a tight budget! This is funny, but at the same time, It's so cool! This is the ultimate first project. (and a great way to get your kids interested in how CNC works) Check this out ---->
http://axis.unpy.net/index.cgi/etchcnc <----