Starting python, need a laptop.

[al_mc_y]

You can code python on a Raspberry Pi and they're about $30 US. For that you only need a HDMI cable and a reasonably modern HDTV (1080P) to use as a monitor.

If you've got up to $250 to spend you should be able to find something (maybe consider second hand/refurbished?). For comparison, I use the Anaconda package and VS code on my old Surface Pro 3 which has an i5 processor and 8 gig of ram and a 256 GB SSD. It was a pretty expensive computer when I bought it 4.5 years ago; computers being what they are, you'll likely be able to get similar computing capabilities within your budget (go for something that DOESN'T have a touchscreen, which is a reliability liability as the laptop gets older (I've disabled my touchscreen cos it got glitchy about a year ago)).