Let’s be honest, ancestry companies are expensive, and with all the programs you might want to do your research properly, the subscriptions costs can add up. To keep costs down you will need to time your research with great offers.
In this post, I will go over some simple hints I have learned over the years to keep my research costs manageable.
Before I go over some of them, I just want to be open about my website. Some links on my pages may be affiliate links, which means that, if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Now, let’s take a look at some of my hints.
Hint 1: Use Free Trials
If you are just starting out, you will want to try out genealogy companies with Free Trials. Just like there are different ways people learn, it is the same way with genealogy companies. With the free trial, you are wanting not only records but something that you enjoy using. As you will likely be using the website a lot!
Another plus would be if the company offers deep discounts when signing up for a free trial.
With any free trial you will be checking:
- Ease of use: Is it easy to find and add the records to your tree? Can you change how the tree looks to suit you?
- Record Data Base: Does the company have the records you need? Just because the genealogy company is popular and has billions of records, that still doesn’t mean they will have the records you need.
Take, for example, Ancestry®, I have been a member since 2009 with the “World Plan” and they just do not have the records I seek for my British lines. Yes, Ancestry has a lot of British records, just not the ones that I need.
For my British lines, I like using Findmypast and my all-around favorite is FamilySearch.
- Saving Records: Can you download and save the free records in a computer file on your computer and then re-upload to permanently be on your tree, so you can see them even when as a non-member?
- Policies: Know the genealogy companies’ non-member policies if you decide not to join? Will you still have access to your tree? What are you allowed to do as a non-member?
- Software: Does the genealogy company let you use genealogy software that has “syncing” capabilities? This saves you a lot of time and you have another way to have a hardcopy of your tree during your two-week trial and if you subscribe to that company.
- Accessory Companies: With two-week trials for accessory genealogy companies like Fold3, Genealogy Bank, Newspapers to name a few, I would make a list in advance of specific things you want to find. Then decide if this is worth a membership.
If you get the “All Access Pass” on Ancestry you might be able to search for the obit, but you still need to pay a little more for the premium Newspapers to view the obit.
Depending on your search time frame you can sign-up for short memberships. I use the newspapers accessory companies more than the military, but it all depends on your focus. My cousin and I would share at the time I had Fold3 and she had Newspapers.
Hint 2: Using Free Records and Free Tree Building to Your Advantage
Several genealogy companies will let you register for free and you can start building your tree. If I would have known about this, I probably would have tried using one of them before I started with Ancestry. Back in 2009, I just wanted to start as I had my DNA done with 23andme and wanted to start figuring out all my DNA connections. I didn’t take the time to shop around, so it is a good thing I like Ancestry’s style and the way I can manipulate my tree.
Things to know about Freebies:
- Build Free Tree: Yes, you can start building your tree and the company will have some free records you can fully view, but they are wanting you to join, so many of the records will likely be premium, where if you click on it, it will let you know you need a subscription to see that particular record.
- Free Records for a special time: I know Findmypast has weekend specials where certain records are free all weekend. This is usually around a special time like Veteran’s Day or St. Patrick’s. I usually get alerted by email from Findmypast.
- Uploading a GEDCOM file of your tree: This is an easy file format for exchanging genealogical data between different systems. If you have genealogy software or have been using another company, you can download a GEDCOM of your tree and then upload to the company you are using.
In the image below, it shows you how easy uploading a GEDCOM of your tree can be done on Ancestry. To get to the “Tree Sharing”, all you need to do is click on the tree tab and select your tree. At the tree name, you will click the downward arrow and select “Tree Settings”. If using a desktop, the manage tree area is located on the bottom right of the screen. Now, click the download button and follow the prompts to download to your computer.
I have used GEDCOM for:
- Jump starting my tree building to other companies like Findmypast and FamilySearch so you can jump start your tree if switching to another company.
- Setting up my husband’s DNA tree in order to see the DNA connections.
- To have a spare copy of my tree on my computer. It’s very convenient to have a copy of your tree saved if not using a genealogy software.
Hint 3: Planning, Timing and Offers
This last hint has to do when you want to try a trial or renew your subscription. What I like to do is get a good discount offer.
Things to do:
- Stop Auto Renewal: If you signed up with a subscription it will be on auto-renewal. Gift Subscriptions on Ancestry do not auto-renew. When I had a subscription, I would stop the auto renewal as it usually went to the regular price.
- Plan: When my subscription ended, I made sure I had enough work to keep me busy while waiting for a great offer.
If your tree is on Ancestry, remember during this time you can still add photos, documents and stories to your online tree, you just can’t see the premium records.
This is a good time to make use of other Free ways to find records like using FamilySearch online or visiting their Family History Centers that are around the world.
While at your nearest Family History Center, you will get free personal guidance from the volunteer consultants (Like myself) with your research, plus access to FamilySearch free records. While on their computers you will also have access to premium websites like Findmypast, Ancestry, and My Heritage to name a few.
- Timing and offers: By keeping busy with using the other free methods you can now time when you want the best offer. I see the best offers at Holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, New Year’s, etc.
I now renew every Black Friday/Cyber Monday time, I give myself my Christmas gift that keeps giving for 12 months and because it is a gift, I do not have to worry about auto renewing.
Putting It All Together:
Even if you only use some of these helpful hints, you are now in control to make your research costs more manageable by planning how long it will take for the great offers and how to keep busy while waiting. Timing is everything!
If you would like to read more articles about genealogy, please visit my homepage: https://www.nancydrugenealogy.com/.
