My supply of Jasmine pearls came from a trip to Beijing a while ago... the department store had two varieties of Jasmine pearls; I got the better ones. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but it was definitely a lot less than a dollar an ounce.

Especially when cost is a concern, you can reuse the leaves at least two or three times. The only problem is figuring out how to store the wet leaves. I never figured that out, in fact.

Enjoy your tea, the convenience of bags is enough that it's really rare for me to actually make it from leaves.