I know not everyone's rolling in money and I am all for saving money on this hobby where possible. Otherwise, I'd have a 2500 gallon reef instead of a 25 gallon reef.
But remember to do the math on savings sources:
I have a 250w HQI fixture. I just got a 15K XM bulb from Doug at Reef Tank Lighting for $61 - 10% = $55. The lowest priced "Buy It Now" bulb is $24. $31 savings over 12 month bulb life is less than $3/month for the peace of mind of knowing that I got a good bulb made by a known manufacturer from a known trusted source to protect livestock that's probably easily worth in the neighborhood of $1000 retail, if it all died.
I'm not saying a bad bulb will kill your livestock, but it can affect the quality and long-term survival of many species.
