I love mine - it was especially good when i worked, especially when the lads and DH all got home at different times. I always put a stew on when I was going to uni after work.
These days I make my own thick stock in it. I chop up onions, carrots, broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks, garden herbs (usually sage, parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil),pepper, some fat from a pork chop or bacon, and a chicken stock cube. After about 6 hours on high and 6 on low, I put it through the blender, and either use it for a casserole, or pour it into clean jam jars and freeze it for later.
Back when I was a working mum and studying at uni part time, I just used bought soup, packet or tinned, as a base.