Sweating during cardio exercises (exercises that increase heart rate such as jogging, biking, aerobics, etc.) or strenuous activity and muscle work is good, and may be suggestive of caloric burning. However, sweating during hot weather or as an emotional or psychological response to stress, isn’t. Not all moments of perspiration mean you are burning fat; you might just be losing water.
Sweating for weight loss is actually one of the major “requirements” in achieving that ideal body weight. When you exercise without sweating, that means you are not exerting yourself enough and should probably increase the rate at which you put your muscles to work. However, it should be the amount of exercise and not the amount of sweat that must be used to measure how far you’ve gone in your weight loss endeavors. It is also important to remember to keep hydrated as your body loses water. Dried-up cells are hardly the best workers for adequate metabolism.
Cheap weight loss exercises do not necessarily involve the use of heavy machinery (there are now compact, foldable treadmills that aren't quite so heavy, if you're interested). Jogging or brisk walking for at least thirty minutes a day could do wonders for your figure already. Cardio exercises are good for burning calories, and as long as you keep an active lifestyle, you should keep your metabolism fairly steady.