You could go with plastic linear bearings for $5. If you are willing to throw some efficiency away, you can use these. I have used these style bearings on my 2'x2'x1' envelope hobby mill for 5 years. There is little sign of wear. The gantry is 400 lbs and supported by 4 of the 1-1/2" ones. (My motivation to use them was not price. I didn't want to be required to keep my rails clean. I can throw a pile of saw dust on to a rail and the bearings won't hardly notice. They also make very little noise when compared to the ball version. However, my router doesn't allow me to appreciate the distinction.)
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