HOW TO FIND YOUR ANCESTORS WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE

My friends warned me that genealogy was an expensive hobby but I proved them wrong. When I first logged onto the Internet, genealogy was not on my mind. That came later, when I ran across a stack of family trees that I had started years before, but never had gotten very far with. That's when my obsession with following the family trail really began.

As I found more and more genealogical sites, the amount of free information kept me surfing for hours. However, I often came up empty handed, not being able to get any of the hard data I needed. The sites that I recommend have either free access to good information, or will clearly point you to the right direction with their suggested links. Some of the links stand out because they are unique in what they offer.

For those of you new to the genealogical Internet, surname searches are where you can enter a surname and it will bring up links and information about others with the same surname in their family tree, often with a descendent and ancestor chart so you can see if your family is linked. The SSDI is the Social Security Death Index. A handy device that will help you fill in the death dates of more recent relatives.

Each site has its own way of organizing its links. I have my personal favorites. Depending on the information you are looking for, and how you like to do your research, some sites will appeal to you more than others.

If you have a limited budget, don't be afraid to dive in head first. The one purchase that I do recommend is under five dollars. Buy a box of file folders. If you are like me, you will soon have stacks of paper with surname information floating all over your workspace. I now have a folder for each surname and all my information is neatly tucked away. My file is in a cardboard box - I really do have a limited budget.

A printer is a handy accessory to have, but not necessary. I started out by copying notes with pen and paper. Then, I ran across a used printer at a garage sale for only $35. To save paper and ink, I use a shareware program called Net Print. It allows you to highlight and print just the part of the text you want. Try it for a while. If you like it, they ask you to send $10. I use a Mac; and it doesn't work with Windows. If anyone has had success with a similar program for Windows, please let me know; so I can pass it on.

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