The cheapest I would recommend is a MyMusicsimple SD MP3 reader for about $20-$30, and a 1GB SD card for about $10. Not all cheap MP3 players are created equal...
You can also get a player with just a small amount of flash built in that isn't expandable for $20-30.
Not that you will exactly be happy with that compared to an ipod... plus they eat AAA batteries.... but it is nice to have something a little more disposable in case it's lost/stolen/broke/etc... and it is decent bang for buck.








