Need suggestions on buying lifting equip

[Shiftkey]

Since I just joined a martial arts dojo I've desided to cancel my gym membership since money is too tight to have both (75 for dojo, 30 for gym). The dojo has a small weight lifting room, but it's missing a bench press and squat cage. Instead they have a smith machine, but I've heard nothing but bad things about those.

Should I stick to the smith machine? Or buy my own equipment? Where would be a good place to get equipment?

 

[NRM]

You can always use dumbells instead of a barbell if they have them. Smith machine... I just really have a biased against it. Like, if you bench 200 on the smith machine, you won't be able to do it on the bench press. You don't really use your stabilizer muscles and you can almost push it in all directions to get it up. Smith machines for squats are pretty effective, but if you have dumbells, use those instead for the bench.

 

[Nocturnal]

Just do db presses.