RESEARCHING ON A BUDGET

As we all know, genealogy is purely a hobby of rich middle aged-women without a real life. OK, just kidding no hate mail please. Seriously this hobby can be more than a little expensive and sometimes seems overwhelming to those of us with more limited resources. The trick is to minimize your investment but maximize the results. You can do this in many ways -- some obvious, some not so easy to see.

Although it would be great to have every reference book that lists your family, you need to restrict yourself to only the ones that are instrumental in tracing your family. As an example: There is a series of 192 books listing marriages, land grants, newspapers articles, wills and other important documents on the people of early Alabama. My family is mentioned in approximately 40 of them, they cost $35 each.

Rather than purchase all the books my family is listed in, I have copied the pertinent data out of each book into a single spiral notebook, with sections for each volume. I then labeled the Spiral as "Alabama Records: Tuscaloosa County, Hocutt Extracts." The Spiral cost me $2, and my time, although valuable, is easier to invest than a couple of thousand dollars. Using this method not only do I get the information I want (including detailed source notes) but I also get more familiar with my family history by reading and transcribing the information.

As you delve farther into your family history, you come across the "need" to own copies of birth certificates, wedding licenses and land deeds. This desire is unavoidable and can if left unchecked consume your entire genealogical budget. The method I used to handle this "demon" is two fold. First I sat down and determined which documents I had to have versus which documents I just wanted to own. Then I took that list and divided into which documents I had to have certified copies of and which documents a Xerox copy of would keep me happy. Most courthouses I have been to will allow you to copy a marriage certificate or a land deed for a very minor fee, ranging from 25 cents to $2 dollars. Here in Texas I have found that all Birth Certificates have to be certified. You can save a great deal of money by getting photocopies of as many of the important documents as you can.

The greatest aids I have found to the budget-minded genealogist are the public libraries and the LDS Family History Centers. The public library of a large city or town often contains a genealogical section with books, census records and family histories. All of which can be searched, referenced and studied again at a modest fee (usually free). The FHCs can be a major boon to any genealogist. They have census records and many other searchable materials. Their charges (free) are very affordable (free), and the volunteers will usually help you if you ask.

This single biggest aid in your search should be your family. Call them and ask questions, ask them to photocopy any legal documents they have. Write to the ones that are long distance calls, explain what you are doing and ask for their help. Remind them that they are your favorite aunt or uncle (Grin, flattery never hurts) and that their help would be instrumental in your work.

NOTE: This was the first article I was asked to write on a specific subject.