A room mate plugging and unplugging uth mats is not a system. That is a tragedy waiting to happen.
Im not rich but I have two Herpstat 1s, a 2, and a 4. I bought some used which saved me some money but overall I have a good little chunk of money invested in them. I think the money was wisely spend to insure the safety of my collection.
Spend the money and do it right the first time. A Herpstat will last a very long time and you will get good use from it.
Buying direct can also be done and they ship very quickly.
http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html