Start your language acquisition at the library. Not only will you have a wealth of resources available, the resources are free and easy to acquire and use. Look for texts on understanding German language and grammar. Check out several different language-learning audios. Well-respected ones include the Pimsleur language programs and the Living Language series. If you find audios that are especially useful, you may want to invest in buying them later. Also, ask a librarian what else is available. For example, some libraries in Georgia have Powerspeak Language online language learning that is accessible to anyone with a library card.
There are many online resources for learning German. Taking an Internet course is easy because you can set your own pace, "attend" class whenever it is convenient and the information is often free or cheap. Look for websites from well-known sources. An example is the BBC, which offers a 12-week German language course, or Livemocha, a free language-learning website with over 8 million members.
While you do have to get out of the house to take an in-person class, the pressure of peer and instructor expectations are sometimes more motivating than taking an online course. Contact local colleges and universities and ask what German courses are offered, how much the courses cost and what times they are offered. Many times, language courses will be offered as part of the continuing education program, so you do not have to be a student at the university to enroll. You can also look for private classes or a personal tutor. These options are more expensive, but they give you more individualized instruction.
You probably do not have the money to go live in Germany for months to immerse yourself in the everyday sounds and uses of the language. However, you can easily create a mini-immersion experience in your own home. Listen to German radio, watch German-language TV and film and practice reading German-language books and newspapers. A local library may have foreign films and German-language books available to its patrons. If not, ask the librarian to request German titles through interlibrary loan. The website listenlive.eu features German radio stations streaming on the Internet. There you can hear everything from Top 40 music to news programming.