My favorite is to cover a wadded-up paper towel or two with a splash (or spritz, in my case) of vegetable oil. Dirt cheap, using things I already keep stocked in quantity in my kitchen, and even more reliable than those crappy $10/pack starter blocks.
Definitely want to find a similarly cheap source of actual pure charcoal, though.
Definitely want to find a similarly cheap source of actual pure charcoal, though.