Right now I'm in one of those places... I feel that I can't do work seriously without a pair of monitors. I'm not prone to listening on multiple systems (I usually try to listen on 2 or 3 pairs of headphones, a cheap speaker and a decent stereo, but that's it), and the cans I'm using sound really nice but they simply are not monitors. I have not used them before and I have turned out what feel to me to be some pretty good mixes, but I know it will assist me in the future to get used to them if I want to go anywhere with sound engineering.
 
I'm on the tightest budget you can imagine. What is the cheapest pair that can be had that still sounds decent? I'm pretty amateur, so I really just need something that will function and last me a couple of years.

Tascam makes nice monitors. Maybe Tannoy. They are good, don't lie and are decently priced. 

What is the cheapest pair that can be had that still sounds decent?
 
You will, in most cases, get what you pay for.  Buy "cheap" speakers and you won't get much.
 

fireberd
What is the cheapest pair that can be had that still sounds decent?
 
You will, in most cases, get what you pay for.  Buy "cheap" speakers and you won't get much.
 

 
Yep...
Studio Monitors aren't the most exciting musical purchase, but a good pair is absolutely necessary to produce good mixes.  You have to hear an accurate representation of what's going on...
Otherwise, you're chasing your tail...

The cheapest for full range monitoring - Yamaha msp 7s, but they are $700-800 a pair.  the msp 5s are good, but you'll need something else to check the bottom ( the 5's get used as near range in big studios) and they are significantly cheaper.
 
Below that, things get ... dicey.  But most of the cheaper ones will work - you just have to listen on other systems once you know their faults.  If you get the Yama 5s at least you know you are good
 
@, except for the bass.

http://www.equatoraudio.com/D5-Studio-Monitors-with-DSP-Pair-p/d5.htm
 
These are not terribly expensive, and they are very, very honest.  I love mine.

Yea, those got a good review in SOS and in talk elsewhere.  As Jim sez, you get what you pay for.  There are good lower-cost monitors, but there are compromises.
 
A sad fact is you have to spend close to $1000 to get full-rangish (8 inch) monitors that are close to true.  Monitors (the last transducer) are a lot like microphones (the first transducer) in that you have to spend good money to get above average sound across the sonic spectrum.   It doesn't mean you can't get good sound on a '57 and a home stereo, it is just not as easy or universal w/ a nice mic drawer and high end monitors.
 
I would check w/ SOS reviews about monitors in your price range and then ask here (and elsewhere) if anyone uses them specifically and what they think of them.
 
@ 

without a corrected room, anything you buy in ANY price range is subject to lying.

batsbrew
without a corrected room, anything you buy in ANY price range is subject to lying.

I was just going to say the same thing.

I upgraded my studio monitors, about a year ago from Samson Resolv 6.5a to JBL LSR308's.  With the Samson's my mixes tended to have too much bass.  With the JBL's the problem is gone and I can get accurate and proper bass levels, along with an overall better mix.  The JBL's are $500 a pair (sometimes they can be found cheaper).   There are JBL LSR305's that are about $400 a pair. 
 
I went with the 8" model because of the bass problems I was having.