I got my German Shepard for free from an animal rescue group here in Raleigh. He was a pure-breed, house trained, and only one year old.
He was smart and happy. He had a great owner, but he was dying from cancer, and wanted to make sure he had a good home for him before he passed away.
So check out local animal rescue groups. They have ones for just about any type of bread you can think off: German Shepard Rescue, Yellow Lab rescue, Huskie Rescue, etc...
So you can get the breed you want, do a good deed, and save money.