I have purchased many handknotted rugs, four of them room size, from ebay seller pakobelrugs. I LOVE my rugs and they were cheap! Three were older rugs and one is new -- I actually like the new one the least. My crown jewel is a 144kpsi, 14x9 vegetable dyed rug that was about $750. It was probably 20 years old when I bought it. But I don't care! It is so beautiful and lights up my living room. My second favorite is the most worn -- it's in the kids playroom and it is a colorful Caucasian rug that's faded on one side ... but I don't care.

You could pay the same amount for a big seagrass rug that has absolutely no character.
Those are wool rugs though and handknotted. If you want super super cheap check out the home decorators' collection online outlet. You can get hand tufted wool rugs and synthetic rugs for very little money. Oh, and overstock.com! Online is really the way to go.