Somebody has to convert your design to a usable PCB file (normally Gerber files), either you do that for free using PCB design software or someone else (like me) does it and charges (usually a lot of $).
AFAIK there are no cheap services to do this, but maybe there are.
Once you have Gerber files there are 100s of fab houses that will make the board for just a few $, I've even seen as cheap as $5 IIRC. Assembly (PCBA) will cost a lot more though.
suggestions on what I should / should not do as I move forward.
Ditch fritzing in favor of a real PCB editor like EAGLE or KiCAD. They'll have a steeper learning curve, but you can do a lot more without needing to bang your head against a wall.