I’m in this same sort of boat. It’s not that I really want to play but I have a friend who wants me to play and I’m happy to go along with it. So like you, I can’t justify the prices for something that I might (and probably) won’t even like.

What I’ve found is what are called “proxys”. Basically you can just print the cards you want for free off the internet. I’m sure there are groups out there that aren’t approving of playing with proxies but if your group falls more on the side of playing and having fun rather than collecting and you’re not trying to pass off proxies as real cards then you should be fine.

It seems to me like a great way to get started and see if it’s something you like without much investment at all