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I love magnetising vehicles, it allows me the opportunity to customise my vehicles cheaply and effectively. However Magnets are expensive, to save a bit of money I want to use just one strong Magnet and the opposite side is just steel. I have 4 Leman Russ to do, I want to have the sponsons to have the magnet inside, and the Turret to have the magnet then the Weapons and Barrels to have the steel plate side. So they will naturally attract the magnet.

I have strong Rare earth magnets, but I need advice on the steel side. Should I buy the Rubberised Steel style movement trays and cut pieces the right size and then stick it on the piece? I have some Magnetic Paper (for printing your own fridge magnets) and could use that ?

Or is their a cheaper way of getting smaller bits of steel? I was thinking buying cheap steel washers and cutting them up?

Test what steel or any other metal, works with the magnets first, is what i have to say, and if its something works and is cheap and easy to cut, use that. in my opinion

small washers are a good idea. I did a pair of Land Raider sponsons by cutting sections off of a hacksaw blade. One simple cut with a dremel and an abrasive disc got me a piece as long as you want. I cut slots in the top and bottom of the doorway, slid the blade through and glued it.
Years ago, before the arrival of these great little rare earth magnets, I cut squares of steel from soup can lids and glued them on top of my tank sponsons. Then I glued the rubber refrigerator magnets to the mounting points of my hunter killer missiles.
I've been trying to find a source for a simple steel pin about an 1/8 inch in diameter and long enough to go through a space marine torso from shoulder to shoulder, then I could simply put magnets in my arms and attach without having to keep my polarity straight

Small washers.
Ducting off-cuts (galvanised steel is what they generally use here and magnets love it - of course, you will need decent snips and tough gloves as this stuff can rip you up if you are sloppy.

My sponsons have two magnets (top and bottom) and the tank hull has the washers. The sponsons fit over the washers, and the magnets make the barest of contact with the washer and stay on.
They are older sponsons, when the weapons were metal. One magnet would hold them but they would droop. Two holds securely.

Yeah, it makes sense just to use one Magnet, otherwise you need one for every mount, whereas you only need one using steel which is great and alot cheaper if you are doing a Leman Russ (or 4! lol).

I personally used cents as the counterpoint to the magnets in the Turrets of my Eldar vehicles.

Stronger bond than with a magnet on each side, curiously enough Oo

Paperclips work as the other-side of the magnet.

All my stuff is a magnet on the mount, and a paper clip in the option.

For a larger / heavier thing I'm using eithe 3-5 magnets in a little circle, or wall-pins / small nails.