First and formost you can do so much for little if you use your imagination. With 6 kids that shouldn't be hard. A basic machine that has a straight stitch and if possible a zig zag is good. Look for a used one that is metal. They tend to less problematic and you pick one up for as little as 5.00- As long as you are willing to clean it up and are open to what the machine does instead of looks you can get a steel. Many paterns and helps can be found on line- Quilting 101 is a good start site. Old clothes, sheets etc make good quilts. Have an old quilt recover it for starters. Vest in a pack f good machine needles like Schmetz which can run around 6.00 (watch for coupons) I have found some of the less expensive scissors do just as well as the pricey ones. Joann fabrics carries snips for jewelry making that work great for thread snips at less then 2.00. If a gridded board is out of your budget make one by making a 1" grid pattern on a large piece of card board or tag board. A wood yard stick from the hardware store works fine for starters. I would vest in long quilting needles as they are easier to handle then the stubby ones that are often blunt. Go with Coats and clark thread- it is reasonable on price and does a good job especially on older machines. Watch thrift stores and rumage sales for crafting and sewing itmes being dumped- often find new items that way for pennies on the dollar. If you have a freecycle group on line near you get invovled. And post what you're looking for someone may have it for free to you. Think outside the box about uses for things- itmes labeled for quilting in the store are usualy an office or craft item that is labeled as quilting so the price can be jacked up. Regarding a used machine- If possible check it before buying you can find free downloadable manuals on line with a little research for many machines as well