Oak Island (still known to old timers as Long Beach and Yaupon Beach) is very cheap compared to any other barrier island and it’s right there at Shallotte Inlet. My folks had a beach place, well more of a fishing shack, there for years when I was a kid until the point got wiped out by a hurricane. Oak Island gets snooted because it was sort of a blue collar place, slightly on the wild side but I frankly had a blast there as a kid. Everybody with a place down there had an old jalopy with the wheel wells cut out, doors taken off, huge tires, painted gaudy colors to match the house, called it a beach buggy and drove them all over, dunes included. No more, but great shelling if you’re into that.
Long Beach was always the Redneck Beach back in the day. Carolina Beach as well. We always went to Ocean Isle or North Myrtle. I really like Topsail. I really like two bridges off the island.
I go to Ocracoke every year now with the frat bros. I have a HS classmate that lives near New Bern in Bayboro, North Carolina. That would be nice/cheap if you were into the whole fishing/outdoor thing.