I use my elliptical almost every single day. I've got it sitting in my living room, near the TV, so that a) I see it every day and can't avoid it, and b) it's got a built in activity (watching TV) to make it more enjoyable. If you stick it in a bedroom or other place, you're more likely to skip using it.

DON'T BUY NEW. Look on craigslist, and you should be able to find a great deal.

I really wanted something compact, so I bought a used Orbitrek Platinum, for $100. This is not a machine that would stand up to super-heavy use (or a very heavy person), nor does it have any bells and whistles. But it's perfect for me -- I use it every day for about 30 minutes while watching TV or reading a book. In the 3 months that I've been using it, I've lost about 10 pounds (doesn't sound like a lot, but for me, it's a big deal!)

Anyway, definitely check out Craigslist -- you can easily find something affordable on there...

I was at Sears one dayu thier big one was on sale big time so I bought it.Watch for sales.

At my gym they use life fitness elliptical machines. They're great because they also have those monitors to tell when you're burning fat and when you're just burning calories or something like that lol

Here is a link that might be useful: how to lose belly fat