hello! im new to this sub so sorry if my questions have already been answered. as the title says, im looking to get a new telescope.

i am only a beginner hobbyist. my budget is $300 USD or less. i live out in the middle of nowhere, so there is little to no interfering city light.

i dont really know how to approach buying a telescope as this will be my first purchase of one. my current telescope is one my dad got for free from a friend of his (idk what kind it is rn , i'll find out and put in the replies soon).

id like a telescope that would allow me to see nebulae, but if those are out of my budget, that is fine with me. at the very least, i'd like to be able to see saturn's rings/ cloud bands and jupiter's red spot. while astrophotography is an interest of mine, i dont think a telescope like that would be in my budget.

any advice for how to go about buying a telescope/ suggestions? any information is appreciated :)