i program my own very crappy scripts lol. if anyone finds themselves with a decent amount of free time, try dabbling in php or cgi/perl, it will save you lots of money in the end (of course for large scripts and sites sometimes it is better to have a trusted script that you buy)
however, its very nice being able to program your own and get everything to look EXACTLY how you want it...
if you need an OK free linklist script try LINX
http://www.kre8webdesign.com/linx/
pretty easy to install, easy to add categories and review, etc, etc. also has some ban controls, however there is no importing so you have to add free hosted sites by hand... but if you dont have much money, linx is one of the better free scripts you can get.