I don't grow veg as they're not low maintenance, they're ****** hard work.
Cheap = grow from seeds. Have a look at what Moongrower has to say about what she's planting / sowing now.

Veg is definitely not low maintenance, wonderful to eat but a lot of work.

For low maintenance you want shrubs that won't get enormous, small / medium sized, not huge growers that need pruning every year. And tough perennials that will get by if necessary without deadheading or cutting back or watering, once they're established. And tough "ordinary" bulbs like daffs and crocuses that don't want twiddling with. No lawn - have paving/ gravel/ concrete to give you space to sit / look at the garden, no veg, no pots that need frequent watering. Just chuck a few handfuls of slow release fertilizer over planted areas in spring if you remember.

All the "real" dedicated gardeners on here will probably be crying by now..... but that's the easy way I reckon.

Also mulch the soil surface heavily--5 cm thick at least--to keep the weeding down. Making plans in advance for irrigation is also helpful, though that will hopefully be only an occasional thing in the UK, once everything is established..