Go into any carpet shop and ask if they have any offcuts or end of line lino - but bear in mind most of them are very big & bulky. I recently did just this and laid it myself (more to do with a time pressure than cost saving) and if you are careful and measure well, it is not too difficult, just make sure you have a sharp Stanley knife.
Though on saying all that, lino is not too expensive and it will not cost a whole pile to get it delivered and laid - plus a lot less hassle.
Another option is to get a decent laminate (great for heavy traffic area such as a hallway). A really good laminate is about €20 per sq mtr and about another €10 to lay it.