Lately I've been finding myself ordering a pack of Beefy Slinkys with every guitar I get. They've become my go-to set of strings over the last couple of years. They're cheap, yet hold their own in the string world.
Granted, they're a little treble-heavy, but even over time as the strings stretch and your oils dampen the string a bit it becomes less of a problem, although at that point it's time to get new strings. However, that's just a minor nuisance that can be remedied through EQ.
The Beefy Slinkys are also versatile tuning-wise. I've had them in all kinds of tunings, from E standard to C# standard and drop B. Below C# standard they do start to get a little loose though, so I'd go with a set of 12s below that. It's tougher to do bends on the higher notes in E standard but it's a good workout for my fingers!
Overall, if you're looking for a good and cheap set of strings that aren't too tough to play but aren't too flimsy, the Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky is the way to go, in my opinion!