When you buy a pack of three embryos MOST people will guaruntee 1 in those three to stick if done by a certified ET person. That being said, if one in three sticks, and lets say you paid $600-$1000 for ONE of the more lucrative or sought after eggs, you multiply that by three and you're already in 2 to 3 THOUSAND dollars. This doesn't include recips, the feed that the recips consume, (Usually not much though) pasture land, and all other variables. I don't know your situation; whether you have recips or if you plan to buy them or raise some feeder heifers to become recips or you are placing the eggs in someone else's recips. Considering cattle prices are in upwards of $2/pound for feeder heifers, recips are by no means cheep, and round here people pay about $1300 and up for every live, weaned calf they recieve. With all this being said, I highly suggest buying a heifer with the budget that you have. For a pacckage of three embryos, plus recips and all other costs you're at the minimum of $5,000 ($2,000 for package of embryos, $800/recip, plus all feed and housing). Take your money that you could spend on a decent trio of eggs and buy yourself a nice heifer.
Heck, the sellers could guarnuntee 1 STUCK embryo, but like BS said, what about the birthin and weaning stress? What happens when a calf doesn't wean right or look like it should? When you buy a heifer, in front of you you have the best and strongest animals; the ones that have made it through the breeding, birthing, and weaning process.
Ultimatly it's your choice, but if I were you I'd go with a heifer. Plus, you get the animal now, not in two years. It may be a boring and quite two years if you're going on a two year drought of not showing.