The fabric may not have been cheap in the sense of price. I bought a charcoal fabric from a LQS at full price that raveled so badly that my 1/4" seams were disappearing as I sewed. It had a good 'hand', but was awful to use. That did not make me happy at all.
The other two fabrics, bought on sale at Walmart, did not ravel at all - thus cheap in price, but perfect for use.
Some fabrics just ravel badly, no matter what the price.