First off check craigslist.com, I often see growers closing shop and selling their equpiment for a good rice on there.
Check in the yellow pages for an electrical supplier/ wholsaler in your area they should have HPS/MH systems for way cheaper than any hydro shop.
Or you can make your own, there may be a guide in the growfaqs here, but if you check around the other stoner sites you will find instructions on how to make your own, it's a good way to save a buck.

And as for 400 watts over a 5x5 area, they are talking about using it on common vegetables, and fruits, not Mary Jane.
peace
davejohnwright Reviewed by davejohnwright on . Raelum's first grow Ok, i have about a 5' x 5' area to work with. I havent decided between ebb and flow and NFT yet, I ruled out aeroponics and the other systems for various reasons. I am trying to decide between a t5 flourescent setup that comes with veg and bloom bulbs and puts out about 30k lumens or a 400W HPS with a MH conversation bulb. I am leaning towards the 400W HPS/MH as it puts out more lumens and seems to be the perfect size for a 5' x 5' area. The cost for each are about the same on ebay Rating: 5