Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance covers you for a set period — often 10, 20, or 30 years — and pays a death benefit only if you die during that term. It's the cheapest way to protect your family, because it's pure insurance with no savings component attached.
For most people, a term policy sized to replace income and pay off debts while children are dependent is all the life insurance they need. It's dramatically cheaper than whole life, freeing up money to invest separately — the 'buy term and invest the difference' approach.