I belonged to an active EAA chapter that formed a group of people that wanted to build and together we made a group buy which gave us a discounted price for the kits. I worked for a company that allowed you to borrow against your 401k. So I borrowed the funds from the 401k and paid myself the interest and principal over the next few years. Instruments, paint, interior and custom mods were payed for on an ongoing basis from my salary, tax returns and stock sales.