Gravel and Decomposed Granite

Decomposed granite, aka goldfines and grayfines, is a great choice if you feel you want a more natural touch to an area, while still wanting to use it as a walkway or sitting area. It crunches as you walk on it, with a look similar to a baseball infield. It is compacted as part of the install, and you can choose to have a stabilizer sprayed on top for prolonged support. This material will need some maintenance throughout the years, since weeds can pop up and it would need to be recompacted every few years to keep it looking new. 

Gravel is a great choice if you like better drainage.  Gravel can get kicked around, so it's not recommended for areas where it can get displaced onto a lawn or concrete area. It tends to stay cleaner and more manageable during the rainy season. 

Bottom line with both gravel and decomposed granite is that it would save you money compared to concrete or pavers, but there is also a little more maintenance involved to keep it tidy.