Buying a Hybrid.
If you don't want to take the risk of buying reverse heats to a hybrid for it to fail this is perhaps the most fool proof method! The only con? A heftier price upfront.
Some tips on saving:
Cubs are perhaps the most expensive route to straight purchase. As of the time Im writing this (3/16/2023) Gon cubs are demanding 400+ GB on average and pons are not far behind.

My advice? Stalk for sales.
Search the trades with a maximum age set to 12~ and a maximum price set to 200GB. As I studied today's sales there were several ladies that popped up for a bargain. These lions will sell fast though, but 2 hybrids with 4 heats each can be bought - if you're patient for a cheaper price than 1 hybrid cub.

You are choosing the difficult path eh? My advice bulk stalk up on cotton rootbark (crb) and breed them regularly, I always love having something to come to every day have 5-8 or even just one bred and crbed daily would help control the urge to splurge on ready to go crbs to ibf. Get a cycle going, get dedicated, and start grinding that GB. From what I've heard it usually takes about 1000 with spending far more for a first gen to pop.

Going the Reverse Heat Route
This again is a gamble. But if you;re looking to do it for the best price to maximize your chance for a cub look for any splits you can and DO NOT pay over 20GB.
Gons and Pons pop in the TC often for less than 200GB with heats remaining. Buying three to four split heats at even 30GB each could have easily bought a pon. Buffalo scrotums if you don't already have them on hand also get expensive and fast. So if you do not already have Buffalo Scrotums on hand I highly suggest looking at option A - UNLESS it's feb or a month with buffalo scrotums available.

The draining Barked Heats
This is perhaps the epitome of instant gratification. They are available from most hybrid owners you could breed a G1 lady for a 10% pass rate! What could go wrong?

Everything.Everything could go wrong.

The items spent on one barked heat outside of feb can buy 1-5 hybrids depending on the month, market and your patience. Even march, just one month later, 10 Yohimbe would sell for 150GB-200GB.

Raffles are another way but also not one I would recommend for obtaining a hybrid.

This is perhaps the easiest part of obtaining a hybrid, decide what one- tigon or leopon you would like to pursue.
Markets of both tigons and leopons vary from heats, to the lions themselves in their value start with one and begin feeling out what is expected and what it would be to get one.
Figure your goals for what generation or the cleanliness.
I have always been more attracted to breeding existing tigons and leopons over trying for a first generation but there are pluses and minuses to both.

Begin working towards your goal. Spend time learning the market and seeing what is a great deal. If you decide to procure a hybrid through heats, this could be spending time seeing what the natural heat market is like- I never recommend doing barked heats for hybrids as the items themselves even a month after February could buy a tigon/leopon- Heck, I've bought pons and gons during feb for 20Yohimbe bark during 2023 and 2 gons twins for 30Yoh in 2022
I personally, I do not buy full heats only split heats as the chances of doubles passing are rare and the GB can then be used to purchase more heats - increasing your chance to get a tigon or leopon through more heats, than betting on one heat.
If you plan on breeding a first gen, begin grinding and researching how many CRBs it'll take (expect 1,000+)

Now you understand your market, but how do you get the GB? Begin crafting and working towards a path of steady GB.
Apart from buying and selling food, which can be a nice way to get pocket change heats are expensive, buffalo scrotums and grains of paradise are also expensive so where does the GB come from?
Firstly look at your king, a low gen highly sought breed only base can bring in a steady source of gb, a mutie king can also increase your GB flow.
Every time my G1 Prismatic king passes his base the cubs are worth a base price of 15GB or the equivalent of one split hybrid heat.
Another great way is to use your talents, art, coding etc to get some more GB or you could try perhaps the most basic marketing method -> buying low and selling high (this is my preferred method of getting GB)
For example, buying black stallions at 1gb and selling them for 2GB

Begin your grind, and begin implementing targets to increase your flow of GB.

Now that you have some GB coming in regularly reserve heats or work towards straight purchasing the hybrid.
Again, I always recommend purchasing split heats unless you find an insane deal on a hybrid, I've found some deals for 100GB a cub before from people looking to sell that day right there! But given the choice of buying a hybrid cub for 300GB or buying 15-20heats at a price of 15GB-20GB I would take my chances with splits every time!

After following the sale of hybrids this past evening I highly recommend option A - straight buying to be the best route of obtaining a hybrid unless you have a gambling heart