Cleaning Cannot afford carefresh bedding, what's the best alternative bedding?

Fleece is a very good choice. You need 1-2 layers of pre-washed fleece so it can wick and about 2-3 or more layers of towel. You'll need to sweep the poops 1-2 or 3 times a day, and change it probably about every 5 days depending how big your cage is and how many pigs. (The bigger it is, the longer between washes). I have 2 pigs and a 2x6 cage and I can get away with changing fleece once a week. Fleece is a good choice as it remains dry and soft. You don't have to continuously go out and buy more bedding. It's not messy. Don't wash the fleece with any detergent containing fabric softeners. Good luck.

I agree. Use fleece, its initial setup maybe long but it's cost is a lot cheaper long term. To use this you'll need an absorbent layer as fleece wicks through so you'll need an absorbent layer such as a mattress protector. You can have more layers if you want but 2 is the bare minimum. Before you use fleece you'll need to wash it to get rid of the layer hat prevents wicking. To check if you've done so pour a bit of water, if it sits on top then it needs to go to the wash, if it goes through then it's ready to use. You'll need to wash it once a week or maybe twice, some wash it once every 2 weeks depending on the size of your cage. If you have a larger cage, then the urging will be less concentrated. You can just spot clean everyday. It's a good idea to have another one in handy while one is in the wash. Just don't use fabric softener so, normal washing powder. People say it's a bit weird to was urging in your washing machine, but when they do laundry in shops they don't question what's been in their before. Good luck

I agree with @Comely Guineas and @gguuiinneeaa that you shjould use fleece.
Here is a post with everything you need to know about fleece https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/21568-The-Fleece-Project-The-Study

Kiln dried pine is an alternative that's cheaper than Carefresh. I you use fleece, you need an absorbent layer and you have to factor in paying for laundry detergent. If you rent, there's an added cost of paying for using the washer and dryer. I hope you have funds set aside for emergency vet care. Vet costs can be significantly larger than the annual cost of any bedding you use.