Learning to play by yourself isn't always easy...there's lots of free info online you can use, but the problem is staying motivated. A good teacher will help you pace yourself, help you keep from getting frustrated, answer your questions and make sure you learn the right stuff at the right time...so you make the fastest progress.

But I understand that money can be an issue. Check out expertvillage.com:

http://www.expertvillage.com/search.htm?s=guitar

There are some great video lessons there done by real guitar teachers, so they should be easier to understand and follow than some of the YouTube stuff.

Best wishes with your playing!