1. I wouldn't house chips w/o a flip of Mylar in those pages. Yes, it's costly.

2. Yes, it'll continue to be costly unless you're able to buy wholesale.

I wouldn't use too many pages per binder; especially if you're showing your chips on a table where all that weight from the chips from page one onward can cause damage when they come creashing down on the back binder cover when it's being closed.

I would also be very cautious and always be on the lookout for warped/dished chips as they, too, will crack easilly when weight comes down on them (especially if within the last few pages).