I used a similar DIY light box for a lot of stuff, made out of a big cardboard box (open top facing you, holes cut in sides and top) with the holes covered with some cheap muslin.
Natural light is free and easy, but if you do night work and want some supplemental light, just make sure all the light is the same (if you buy some LEDs/CFLs, for example) and turn off your overhead light. That way you can effectively change the white balance in post and won’t have to fight with several different color temperatures.
Good cheap backgrounds can include creating an infinity edge with some poster board (cut a rectangle to fit inside your light tent, so that it curves around back and eliminates distracting hard lines from your background) or fabric.
A good way to make your photos pop a little is to slide some sort of reflective surface underneath them. We used to use clear acrylic on white fabric, but some fun options include cheap polished stone tiles from your local home despot. Here are a couple of shots from a few years ago when I was experimenting with food:
