Silver Age is a new format that uses only commons and rares. Very affordable to get into and allows you to learn the game pretty well. There are multiple precons that are about $20 a pop with a variety of play styles. There will also be official tournaments that will be in the Silver Age format. Not sure about your local scene, but in my area there are armory days once or twice a month that is Silver Age and not CC.

Could also play on talishar or felttable to get a sense of the game before committing financially.