A few years ago, I had my main machine die and was totally strapped for cash at the time. That's when I found the Lenovo Outlet store, and got a really cheap refurb. It was very underpowered, even at the time, but was enough to get me by until I could afford something nicer.

Maybe you'll be able to find something similar: http://shop.lenovo.com/outlet_us/laptops/#facet-1=1,2,3,4