When I started sewing many years ago, I bought a cheapie Singer for $119 and I put about 200,000 miles on it before upgrading. It was what I could afford at the time, but it also made sense to me not to spend too much until I knew if I wanted to continue.
It was a mechanical machine with about 15 stitches but it served my needs. It forced me to learn the machine and its quirks (and they all have 'em). I would do the same thing over again. I would look at reviews of the low end machines and get the best one. If you sew for a year and then upgrade, you got your money's worth and have a backup.
P.S. Sears Kenmore machines are usually pretty decent for a low price. I would start there.