HELP LAZY GIRL HERE!!!

Just do what you can for now. Once you build up youre strength and endurance youll be able to workout for longer periods of time.

Start by walking 30- 60 minutes a day at a pace that is comfortable for you. This will make your body more able to handle a fitness machine. After a few weeks, try the stair stepper or elliptical again. I think you my like the elliptical better than the stair stepper.

Walking is low impact and FREE! Just walk as much as you can and keep adding a few more minutes every day. Walking is a great workout! And, once you can do a bit more, I agree with a previous poster, the 30 day shred workout is great. Good luck! You can do it, just do your best.

TAE BO dvd's at walmart! They have a TON of different selections to choose from!

Walking, yes everyone already said that.
Start out slow and od as much as you can. Even if it is just 10 minutes. I walk 3x a day, 15min each walk, for me that is easier the a straight 30 - 45 minutes. Plus it gets me active, out of the house and my heart rate up three times a day.

Also you can pick up work out videos from the library ... free

I am a single mom, my resources are limited, work with what you have. When I take my daughter to the park, I keep moving & busy, I'll walk laps around the playground when she plays. Or I use the playground equipment in a variety of ways, for example you can do step aerobics just by stepping up on ledges or stairs, step up, then step down, it gets your heart rate going, I use the balance beam to balance, it works the core.

It won't happen overnight, be patient. and Good Luck

Regarding equipment and costs.
Your body weight is free and is typically plenty of resistance. You don't have to ride expensive machines, or pump iron, or go for miles and miles to get a caloric burn and build some muscle. You can do a lot within a 10ft square (and air conditioned) area. Do things like 50 jumping jacks, then 20 squats, then 20 push ups, then 20 crunches, then 20 burpees, rest and repeat. The numbers are irrelevant really, could be 50-3-20-5-8 or something, Just do as many as you can for now to complete the set, the important thing is to complete this as a sequence, move from one exercise to the other with no rest in between exercise. Then once completed these 5 exercises in a row, rest 2 or 3 minutes, then repeat the same process over. Rest another 2-3 minutes then complete the circuit a 3rd time. (a 4th and 5th as you get better) It helps to have a timer too so that it makes sure you only rest 2 minutes rather than 10 in between. When you get better at each exercise and can complete each exercise without failure, and with good form, all you do is stop at 20 but do each exercise "faster". Increase the intensity of the workout and add sets as you get fitter.
This will get your heart rate up and will exercise the demons - especially if you just push yourself a know you can rest later (that's why the numbers per exercise are almost irrelevant). Later, you can switch out the exercises very simply too as you get more into it. Introduce some shoulder, lower back, more legs, ticeps etc exercises. Perhaps change each "set" so you do 3-5 exercises like above, then a different 3-5, then a different 3-5, the a different 3-5. It's always good to start each set with a "cardio" type move. Perhaps jumping jacks, then jump rope (there's another cheap, easy and effective piece of equipment), or step ups, etc. - even the burpess. Then move into some strength exercises, like "legs into chest into abbs". Google is your friend in finding ideas and sample workouts.

Other cheap and useful equipment to consider.
1. Exercise matt
2. Jump rope
3. Med Ball
4. Swiss ball
5. exercise bands.

Things you can use around the house to supplement workouts. Stairs, chairs, buckets (with water) and bricks, broom handle.

You can do A LOT with the above few items. Prob cost less than $100 and you don't need to get all at once. Will last a long long time too and very versatile.