exodus
They had more options than they needed to get out of Tatooine:
Qui-Gon tried to brain wash the first merchant into accepting useless currence and failed?
He could go to the next one, brain wash him into changing useless republic currency into something with value, then go to the first merchant and buy the hyperdrive.
They could have given their new shiny ship in exchange for a ride out - a FAR higher price than usual for a happy pilot.
They could have exchanged their new shiny ship for an older, smaller ship with functioning hyperdrive.
But what does Qui-Gon do? He bets everything they have on a race with uncertain outcome (kids with 'midiclorians' and jedi are FAR from infallible) - one Anakin almost lost.
Watto was the only one with a hyper drive they needed, he couldn't go anywhere else.
"I'm the only one with T-13 Hyper drive, I'll bet you that....."
Remember that line?
If that was an option, don't you think he would have done it? I think they would indicate nobody was selling any ships.
Here's what I didn't understand about that.
Let's look beyond the fact that they could have traded their own ship for a ride [and if Luke's speeder is worth enough $ for a ride, that slightly damaged interstellar craft should have been]. These guys are the representatives of a
galactic government. Even if Tattooine is outside that government, shouldn't the Jedi at least have
some credit? They aren't exactly fake Nigerian officials sending emails, either. They're real, live in the flesh representatives of the Jedi order.
If Putin shows up on my doorstep without any cash, and says "Give me a ride to my embassy and you get $10000!" he's getting a ride.