@RegGFX places like HostGator are great if you have a static site and do not plan on having anything upgraded, content deployed, or 24/7 phone support (free phone support, and not getting charged because you called in). These hosts are a dime a dozen and you really do get what you pay for with these types of hosts.
"Affordable" does not always end up being your most cost effective solution. When those sites went down and you didn't receive any help, how much time out of your schedule did you take to try and rectify that situation? Would you have liked to a) never have to worry about your sites because you know they are backed by experts or b) if something were to happen it gets fixed immediately after you call? These two scenarios are what you get with premium hosts. Sure it may cost a bit more initially, but you have a peace of mind knowing that people know the platform you are on and can assist you immediately when the need arises.
Now let me ask you this, how much is your time worth? Is it worth $20 a month, knowing that you never have to worry about your hosting provider and never worry about not getting support. The only reason why I ask is because sometimes people end up going cheap, and losing money for their business because their site is down, it has errors or doesn't function properly. You may end up losing more than what you would pay with a host like PowerDNN, Appliedi, or 3Essentials.
Just some food for thought, but I think that if you hold any importance for your website, it will benefit you more in the long run to go with a reliable, well known DotNetNuke host.