How do you go about declaring bankruptcy without paying a lot money for it?

You can file the paperwork yourself but it is not a good idea. That doesn't cost you anything except getting your hands on the correct schedules and filing them out properly. There is NO getting around the Federal filing fee to file for bankruptcy.

http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts/fees.html

Some attorneys can put you on a payment plan for their fees. That is probably the best route to go when filing bankruptcy. There are no freebie attorneys for this.