rope and tree branch?

If you are in the US, check any Aldis near you. No joke, got a quality stand for like $40, and it collapses down to fit in a corner or closet.

I'm using a Park Tool. It's good but it wasn't cheap.

Stands give good ergonomics and access which is good if you're working in a bike shop all day. For twice a year, it may not be necessary.

That's not really a good answer to your question though. I can say the best stands I've used were very heavy and had a wide base. Not much worse than tipping a customer's expensive bike in the stand

To be honest, unless you've got a heavy e-bike, any <$100 (EDIT: that's in USD. <$140 Canadian) stand should work well. E-bikes need a more robust stand capable of holding up the weight.

Most styles should fold up small for easy storage.

EDIT: I own this stand: https://www.bikehand.com/en/product-300463/Bicycle-Repair-Stand-YC-100BH.html, but also have a few others that are equally inexpensive and just as useful.

If all you need is to adjust your derailleur, you can do it in a few ways without owning a stand:

• Look for a public bike repair station near you, where you can prop up your frame.
• Flip your bike upside-down. (Do it on grass or lay down some padding if you're worried about scratching your bike.)
• For your rear derailleur, shift to the second-smallest cog, squat behind your bike, close one eye, and sight it. You should be able to see whether the top of the chain, the cog, the derailleur, and the bottom of the chain are visually aligned. Tweak the barrel adjuster until it looks aligned and take it for a test ride.

But yeah, having a repair stand is useful. If you're looking for something super compact, there's the Altangle Hangar Connect, which turns any fencepost into a bike stand (but it's not cheap). The Topeak Transformer RX floor pump can kind of function as a stand in limited circumstances.

The YC-100BH Repair Stand that @Showroom7561@lemmy.ca has is probably your best/cheapest bet. I use a much more pricey Feedback Sports stand, but I have to deal with a steel frame fat bike with 5" tires.

Lidl has a cheap one, if they are available in your area. I think I paid 30€ for mine.

In a pinch those wall leaning bicycle storage racks can be used as a light work stand. Most bike work these days doesn't necessitate the heavy wrenching required in the past. You may want to maybe immobilize the front wheel from flopping all about. Just something to consider. Two birds, one stone and all that.