Q. I don't have much money. What's the best way for me to get information?
A.1.  Everyone will tell you to start with yourself and work backward ie. parents, grandparents etc.
2.  Subscribe to all the Rootsweb Lists that pertain to your surname and locations.
3.  Check the Historical Societies in the various locations. I have found some are pretty steep but some are really reasonable.
4.  In a small town, ask for the Town Historian......they are often a big source of information.
5.  In a small town, ask for the Post Office....often the post master/mistress will have information about a certain family.  I hit a
gold mine with a post office last summer.....it was located in the Hardware Store, and almost everybody knew who to talk too<G>!
6.  Check with the University Library Archilval Dept.  They often ask only postage and copy cost. I got some valuable info from the University of Vermont, USA for only about $3.
7.  If you live near where the vital records are kept they may allow you look and copy the information for no cost.
8.  Ask for inter-library loans, so that you may peruse History and Genealogy books. You can find appropriate titles by asking one of your lists.
9.  And of course, the FHC (Family History Center) for the LDS church is a wealth of information. I think it is $3 apiece for a  cd.  They have TONS of material from all over the world.
There are probably more idea's but that is what comes to mind now.  Good Luck!  Margaret in NV, USA