Ok when it comes to cheap fixes there are a lot of them.  From spring spacers to blocks (for lift kits) to a pair of panty hose used as a fan belt.  Why one night I even used beer to get the mudd off my windshield so I could see where I was driving.  It's all left up to the imagination.  All you have to do it think like McGiver. 

Lift Kits
       Ok let's talk about cheap lift kits.  On a vehicle that has springs all the way around this one is simple.  Figure out how high you want to go.  Go to you local Industrial supply store and buy square metal tubing the diameter of how high you want to go.  Cut them in equal lengths the same size as your current blocks that are on your truck.  While there also pick up some U bolts that are long enough to go up past the blocks and over your axles.  Wa la instant lift kit.  Now depending on how high you go you might have to turn the axles.  This is so your drive shaft doesn't get in a bind.  Also check your steering componants.  If you are only going 5 or less inches I have found on the most part no problems.  If you are lifting 12 inches I can guarantee your gonna have to do some extra work.
       When lift kits don't get ya where you need to be.  Unless it's a daily driver or you want it to look nice, you can trim the fenders.  Break out the ole cutting torch and have at it.  We once installed 44 inch tires on a 72 Blazer that only had 6 inches of lift.  We just cut the hell out of the fenders.  You have all kinds of room when the fenders aren't there. 

Gas Tank Replacement
       This one is the easiest.  If your gas tank is rusted out or you bust a hole in it rock climbin you can go about it a couple of ways.  JB Weld will repair most older gas tanks.  Or some type of polymer sealer on newer ones.  But the most creative we have done is one time a friend of mine called me from college.  He told me that one of his Frat brothers had a Landcruiser that needed a gas tank.  He said that since he was an Electrical Engineer major (plus a huge partier) that he wanted something orginal.  So after thinking about it for a while I asked if they had any old beer kegs laying around.  Sure nough they did so I sat down and figured out how to make the beer keg a gas tank.  They brought the Landcruiser to my house and we parked it at the shop.  Actually the shop is a large oak tree in my front yard.  I removed the old gas tank and asked him if he would like me to put the keg in the same place.  He said no, he wanted it so everyone could see it.  So we mounted it in the back of the Landcruiser.  Now he was happy with this for about a week.  He came back and said the keg didn't hold enough gas.  No problem.  Got another keg?  We then mounted the second keg on the right rear of the vehicle and spliced into the line and connected both.  He was the talk of the town.  To my knowledge he is still driving this vehicle to this day.

Transmission Fix
       Ok so your transmission is going out.  This one is simple if you have full coverage insurance on your vehicle.  Now before I explain this, RednekTv is not responsible if you try to get away with something like this.  You are doing it of your own accord.  If you have full coverage on your vehicle, take the transmission plug out of your vehicle and then drive it till the transmission blow up.  Then all you have to do is say that someone vandalized your vehicle by taking the plug out and it should be covered under the vandalism clause of your insurance.  This also works for motors.  I know of one person who has done this and got away with it.  I don't recommend doing it.  Another friend of mine who ripped out first gear in his tranny tried to do this, but didn't check his insurance policy close enough before hand.  It was not covered under his insurance. 

Dif Lockers
       Ok you want positive traction from your rear end when in the mudd.  Now most lockers start out at about 400 big ones but I've go a cheap fix for ya.  Instead of putting in lockers just pop the top on your dif cover and weld the spider gears together.  This way both turn constantly.  Check the specs on your truck before you do this.  Some axles are know to break when too much torgue is applied to them when welded.

These are just a few of the ways you can fix your truck cheap.  You don't have to have thousands of dollars to have a good mud truck.  If you have some Alabama crome (duct tape) and a little imagination you can do anything.