Cheapest (legal) way to get it is through a university. If you're in school or know someone who is a student you can go through them. Otherwise I'd say use PC part picker to find the cheapest option and compare it to your local stores :)

Yeah I'm in the same boat as you! There's a subreddit for it I think but I don't know if I trust it!

I've purchased all the parts for my first build and I'm currently waiting on the case to arrive. The one thing I have not yet purchased is Windows. I'm not the best when it comes to software and I was curious if anyone could help me out. Should I just go to Best Buy or Micro Center and purchase Windows 8.1? Are there better places to get it cheap on the web? Any advice is appreciated!

[Build Help] Windows 8.1