I picked up the
Radio Shack #20-176 for $30 just last week. It might not be too large for what you're wanting (it really is a pretty small antenna), and, it's a very simple, low visibility antenna to put up. I currently have it mounted just a hair taller than my roofline, via a piece of electrical conduit acting as a mast. It's small, lightweight, and so far has lasted in this week's winds (gust of 40MPH+).
An external antenna is night/day difference to most any stock antenna, even if only using a mag mount on the fridge like KF7OQQ mentioned.
For instance, in my upstairs ham shack, using the stock antenna on my BCD536HP, I was just barely able to pick up 2 NOAA stations, each about 40 miles away. Using the antenna I mentioned above, (before I mounted it outside), I was hearing both close in NOAA station with little to no fuzz, and even picked up a 3rd one ~90 miles SW of here (weak, but audible).
After mounting it outside just above the roof line, All 3 of the NOAA stations are now easily heard, and even picking up yet another one around 90 miles NW of here; all 4 plainly audible.
I'm sure there are far better antennas than the one I mentioned, but, I was really hoping to avoid an eyesore and negative responses from the XYL. But for $30, I'm extremely happy with it's performance, both inside, and especially after it went outside.
Good luck!