Usually, repairing the e-brake cable is not terribly expensive - GM used the same scheme on lots of cars. It's not dirt cheap but it's not like the ABS motor died...
so...
Why not just get the new cable? You should be able to have an independent mechanic put on a new one for the cable price and an hour or less labor.
First, there's no way the entire cable broke - it's in 4 parts (the front, the 'intermediate' cable, the driver-side-rear and passenger-side rear. If you look under the car you'll see which cable broke. Given your location (Buffalo) I suspect it may actually be that a bracket rusted and snapped - a bodyshop can repair that (weld on a bracket that will work) without too much trouble.
Second - suppose it is a cable - NONE of those cables goes for more than $27.00 And if you buy the Raybestos one now, they throw in a free backpack adn a chance to win a laptop computer (go figure).
I'm not your parent and I sure as h*** can't tell you how to manage your money - I guess the point is that for my money I'd just get the thing fixed. To get an idea of how much you're in for, look under the car and see which cable (or bracket) broke. if it is a bracket you're in for a couple hours of shop time and some misc. parts. If it is a cable, about an hour of shop time plus the parts. Figure shop time at a dealer at about $80 - $90/hour, less at most independent garages.
If you think about it, fully functioning brakes are the most important system on a vehicle. If you are driving it and you can't stop it, you have essentially no defence in an accident if you had any chance of avoiding it. I would hate to see some sharpie litigator hang you or any other list member by the short and curlies over something like this.
See, you're responsible for this whether you know about it or not - since you know it's busted (this is why it's designed to ping at you) you are clearly responsible - so if I were you I'd go get it fixed, pronto, so you don't get snared.
Albertj
