Starting a family

My wife and I are wanting to start seriously trying to conceive a child soon. We want to first try insemination ourselves at home. We had a friend agree to be a donor but then backed out. We are not exactly flush with cash (we live comfortably but don't really have the means to spend thousands trying to have a baby). I'm not currently comfortable asking anyone else we know to donate. Is there an affordable way of going about this or should I resign myself to the fact that I will probably not have a child? This has really been weighing on me and bumming me out. How are the rest of you going about the process?