I picked up 7 pro mini's from ebay for about 15 bucks with free shipping. I have been using them for my projects, and just using my UNO board to program the mini's. Doing a breadboard config with a chip, crystal, and basic components would be the best way I think, but if you are really new to electronics, go with buying some mini's and using them for your projects. Later on down the road you can get into PCB design and how to home brew your own circuit boards for really cheap as well. (FYI) Just be warned. If you do hop up on ebay and order from china, be sure to contact the seller first with a question asking if they have them in stock and ready to ship, otherwise you might end up waiting 2 months to get your stuff. I know a guy in china I get all my stuff from, and he is a SUPER FAST shipper. If you are interested pm me and I will shoot you over his ebay store.
Good luck.