Buy a pineapple at the store, cut the top off leaving 1/2" of the fruit, pull foo a few of the bottom leaves, soak in 1" of water, plant when roots show.

Yep that would be the cheapest way. Buy a fruit, plant a top. I've got about thirty tops going along. But I haven't got any fruit yet though, its suppose to take about 2yrs and I just started recently.