Not off-topic at all and it’s a great question! Check out my first blogging basics post about how I recommend getting started >> https://basichousewife.com/the-best-blogging-platform/
Getting a blog set-up might actually be cheaper than you think! I use wordpress.org which is completely free, but then pay for my hosting site, which is about $5/month. But all of those details and more are laid out in the blog I linked. Hope that helps!