I agree that there is a lot of scaremongering going on. I heard loads of reports about "a very small amount" of mercury being in the bulbs but not one single report saying how much "a very small amount" is. Are we talking grams, milligrams, or less and how does the quantity compare with the old thermometers (you could actually see the mercury in those!). My understanding is that the mercury is in vapour form so it will be in a much smaller quantity than would be found in an old thermometer but I would still appreciate some journalist taking the trouble to find out how much rather than just leaving it to the vivid imagination of Joe Public to judge.
The bulbs used to be a false economy as the saving in electricity would be offset by the high cost of the bulb. Today, however, you can buy energy saving bulbs from many places for under a pound. I've yet to spend more on one and I've yet to have one fail. Personally I find that I leave more lights on longer (for security) with energy saving bulbs. An energy saving bulb can stay on all night and still use less than a penny's worth of electricity.
If you are concerned about the cost of the bulbs, you should stop paying so much for them.