Then don’t get the $ 2-300 Garmin? Just get a used one on FB marketplace, Craigslist, or even a forerunner 35 refurbished is about $60 on Amazon.
Don’t want to pay $150? Then don’t, just get a good book and maybe some more advanced friends in the sport and see what you guys can come up with or follow.
What’s the purpose of you getting a coach? I think it might be best to look at your reason for looking into one first before deciding to get one. Then look into what coach you want, or if you’d want a training group instead. Is it accountability? Personalized structure of a training plan? Just to try something new?
I found a coach because I found myself stuck in a running progress rut while running as much as I could and hoping for the best. I was always alone on my workouts so I didn’t care about the training partner aspect. I also lived in the middle of nowhere so it wasn’t an option. An online coach was the best fit for me. After getting to know me and adjusting my training things got better, but they mostly got better when I was taught the right structure for training and being consistent with it.
If you don’t have a lot of money, then it’s not realistic to spend a lot of money on this sport. Great thing about the sport is it doesn’t require a lot of money to improve and enjoy. A watch that tracks distance, a pair of shoes, and a plan. You don’t need any more bells and whistles, but they are there for you if you want them.