How to Start Researching Your Family Tree on a Shoestring Budget

Interested in reasearching your family tree you but don't want to shell out lots of money on a genealogist or expensive on-line services? Overwhelmed with where to even begin? Well, then read on! This article will tell you how to get started researching your family tree without blowing a great deal of money.

The decision to investigate your family tree can be vastly rewarding. Undoubtedly, you will unearth some amazing stories about your heritage as well as connect with long-lost relatives. You will surely find that your roots yield an interesting array of colorful people; from war heroes to two-fisted drunkards, suffragists to barmaids. The thrill of the hunt can be exhilarating, if only a bit frustrating at times. Luckily, you already have access to many resources that can help you on your quest. Here are some tips on where you can begin researching your family heritage.

Begin by talking with your family. You may find that someone within your family has access to a family Bible or other important documents. Don't underestimate what great-great Aunt Nellie may have stored in her brain either. Visit your elderly relations and encourage them to simply talk about their family. Rather than probing questions of dates and names, simply jogging their memory with an open-ended question like, "What were your grandparents like?" can result in a wealth of information. It is wise to take notes or even record the conversation. Make note of mention of names and places. After a dialog has been established and memories have clarified, you now might find some success in asking more direct questions. Names, including alternate spellings; marriages and previous marriages; dates; and locations are all important aspects on which to focus.

Consider attending and/or hosting a family reunion. Encourage those attending to bring family artifacts (pictures, memorabilia, etc). The more connections you make with living family members, even distant cousins, will widen your available resources.

If you live in the area where your ancestors settled, pay a visit to the local historical society , library, or county courthouse. Often, you may look through their records at no cost to you. Likely you will find that the staff is more than willing to help get you started and show you what family records are available to you.

If you are aware of some places of rest for your family, take a stroll through those cemeteries. Often you can obtain more details from the headstones or even locate the graves of family members of whom you were unaware.

Turn to the internet for assistance. This is a great option for those who have lost contact with living family or who no longer live near where their family settled. However, always be sure to scrutinize the data you find if no documentation is provided. It is important to discern if the information on the internet was researched thoroughly. Below are some wonderful free internet resources that can produce a wealth of family information.

1. The USGenWeb Project: This site breaks down into state and then county links. Although the amount of genealogical information any given county differs greatly, some counties have terrific sites that include such records as census transcriptions, death records, cemetery transcriptions, family information, church files, etc.
2. Find A Grave: Founded by Jim Tipton, this free online cemetery site is truly a genealogical gem. One can find the grave of ancestors, view pictures, add memorials, as well as upload their own family information. It's wonderful to have all this readily searchable information on one site, rather than scattered at individual cemetery websites.
3. Rootsweb: Affiliated with Ancestry.com, Rootsweb's goal is to connect people so that they can share their genealogical information. You can upload your family tree, contact others who are researching similar families, post messages on message boards, and utilize other tools such as the Social Security Death Index, town locators, and search engines.
4. FamilySearch: This non-profit service is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They encourage all people to freely research the records available at their site. They provide a wide variety of searchable records, including but not limited to: birth, marriage, and death records; selected census records for the United States, Canada, and British Isles; and the Social Security Death Index.

These tools should get you well on your way to uncovering your family heritage. Not only is it an exciting pursuit, but the information you preserve will be a wonderful treasure that you can pass on to the next generation of your family. These resources can help you locate information and make your journey through your family history enjoyable. Happy hunting!