Do you have a YMCA near you? My local YMCA bases your monthly rate by your income so if you don't make as much, you don't pay as much, plus they have scholarship programs for people who are laid off and cannot find work. My YMCA offers a course called "Basic and Brief," which is like a crash-course in using the machines as a circuit, and at the end of the session they give you a free t-shirt
ETA: My membership is on a month-by-month basis- they ask if you decide to end your membership, you let them know by the 15th of the month prior to the month you want to end- so if I want to end my membership in March, I would have to let them know by Feb. 15th.
As for me, I love my YMCA, it has changed my life! What I like about it, is that it is an non-intimidating environment- some of the other gyms in my hometown have all these size zero chicks and body building dudes everywhere- whereas my YMCA has people of all ages, all sizes, all ethnicities, all backgrounds, so it makes me feel more comfortable to work out there!
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!! (LOL, OK I'll stop
)