What are good ways to learn C without an expensive textbook?

There are plenty of free resources available, and learning how to find and evaluate them is part of becoming a programmer. K&R is a classic if you can access it, but keep in mind that it assumes you already understand programming basics, so it may not be ideal as your very first introduction. A structured beginner course followed by hands-on C exercises would probably be easier.

Don’t spend weeks searching for the perfect book. First make sure you understand core programming ideas such as variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and how a program runs. Free structured resources like CS50, freeCodeCamp, or Learn-C.org can help with that. Once those fundamentals are clear, C is a fairly small language and most decent resources will work. The important part is to type the code yourself, experiment, and deliberately break programs so you learn how they behave.

C is a useful choice, but it can be a demanding first language because pointers, memory, and manual resource management appear fairly early. Some beginners find it easier to learn general programming with Python, Java, or C# first, then return to C. If your goal specifically involves systems programming or understanding how computers work, though, starting with C is completely reasonable—just expect to move slowly and practice a lot.

Choose a practical project instead of trying to consume tutorials indefinitely. Set a long-term goal, break it into tiny tasks, and solve each task one at a time. For example, start by displaying text, calculating a value, or comparing strings. Write and test each small piece separately, using documentation or tutorials only when you need help. Then combine the pieces gradually. Building something tangible makes the concepts stick and helps you avoid tutorial overload.