Using a crockpot is much cheaper than using a standard stove, I've seen figures to that effect. (Particularly good here in the summer, where air conditioning is a bigger cost than heat, and an oven or open burner works against us)

Cheap cuts: well, meaty ham hocks are wonderful for making pea soup or red beans and rice Lousiana style. I've got a fab recipe for RB&R if you want it let me know.

Apparently barbeque was invented by blacks trying to tenderize the miserable cuts of meats they could get their hands on. And the Asian 'red cooking' method is supposedly long cooking in liquid that tenderizes, haven't tried it myself.

Clueless about that beef chine, but great that you have a real butcher. We have one 20 miles away, can't get there too often. I take it you've already mentioned to him that you're looking for cheap cuts.