I have made four CDs, all with my own money. I do it with five-dollar bills. Every time I get a fiver I put it in my sweater drawer. I also finance my trips to music camps this way, so nothing comes out of the family budget. I would never dream of asking my friends to chip in, but if they want to buy a CD I'm happy to sell them one. And I'm not above a little self-advertising, so if you're interested check out
http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/martykohn