I want a reliable, pretty cheap shared host that accepts proxies and a lot of transfer/CPU usage. I don't want to have to pay per year, however, and want monthly payments to be an option (so I can switch to a VPS if need be). Any ideas?
Most VPS's do not accept IRC or proxy sites either, unless they are intended for that. www.redwoodvirtual.com is among the few accepting them, but being a LVD (Linux Virtual Server) it lacks of many pre-configured features. You need knowledge and patience because support is not good at all. I believe UnixShell is the other service accepting proxies as well, but they are not taking orders at the present time.