Go down to literally any 2nd hand phone store and buy a refurb. None of your money will go to Google and you'll have your phone at a fraction of the new price.
Literally any? Really? Are you sure you're not looking at this through an Americancentric lens? The Google phone was never offered in my market, so second hand options are simply not available.
I am one of the dozens of people who don't live in the USA.