Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as cheap birdseed. They may not be eating your "cheap" bird seed now only because there are other food sources available. But wait until there is a few inches of snow on the ground, then they will eat it. But if you really don't want to use it as plain feed then I suggest that you mix it with suet and make suet bricks out of it. Place these in small wire cages or spread the melted suet mixture onto pine cones and hang them from a fence or branch. Some birds will eat it, even if they are just starlings.