Fortunately for me, I get a lot of scrap hardwoods for free from our woodworking club. The scraps come from a member who owns a wood milling co. They usually come in the form of 1-1/2 to 2-1/2" thick pieces that I have to resaw and plane. so It can be labor intensive, but it is free!
I use this wood to make frames and a lot of my scroll saw projects.