Having been an entrepreneur most of my adult life and having raised two children on my own, I've always looked for the most cost-effective way to do everything. If I can get it for free, I don't buy it. If I can get it at a discount, I never pay retail.

With the explosive growth of the Internet and e-commerce, I have been able to take the concept of free to a whole new level. You can get really great FREE stuff on the Internet.

I'm not just talking about "screen savers," I'm talking about FREE Internet Service Providers, FREE long distance using the Internet.

Every type of software imaginable is out there, for free. I never buy software. Companies offer free samples of their products over the Internet, free magazine subscriptions, free information services, free voice mail, free fax service. The list is endless.

For starters, I, like many millions of people, had been paying $21.95 per month for Internet Service. With children and my business, our household finds the Internet an invaluable tool, something we need and use every day.

But I always resented paying for a service AND then being bombarded with advertisements that I had to read before I could even access my email.

I have recently found a solution to my frustration while at the same time butting the cost of my service down to ZERO. I switched my Internet service over to one of the new FREE Internet service providers.

One small area of my screen is devoted to ads but that is the "price" I happily pay for totally free service.

If you wish to cut the cost of your Internet service, you can do so by contacting one of the several providers we found while searching the Internet. One of them charges an initial one-time fee; the second is completely free.

Freewwweb provides 56K access at all phone numbers; free e-mail with your account; newsgroups; chat rooms; tech support; free stock quotes; software is on a CD ROM. Cost is $99.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling, then a one-time $19.95 connect fee. Free from then on!

Netzero provides up to 56K access, requires you to have or obtain your own browser and email software (both can be downloaded free); tech support is provided.

Computer games and software can be extremely expensive, especially for a family with school-age children. You can cut this cost almost down to zero if you are willing to find it on, or download it from the Internet.

For example, a really cool site, IllusionWorks , is for grown-ups as well as kids. It contains some incredible illusions, games and puzzles for all ages and skill levels. The site is also linked to other great sites for kids.

Would you like to learn something new? You can learn to type by downloading a FREE typing tutor at Typing Master 98.

Maybe you feel overwhelmed by this "whole Internet thing" and would like to learn how to navigate the Internet. There are a number of FREE sites you can access to learn to navigate like a pro.

For some general, easy to follow courses, try Horizons I-Mall. When you access the site, click on "click here to shop". When the directory appears, click on "Newbie U". From there you can learn the ins and outs of surfing the Web, making the most of e-mail, transferring files and more.

For a summary of the Top Ten Must-Do's online, check out ThridAge e-zine. And, try this two-minute Web search tutorial.

Would you like to cut your long distance phone bill considerably? Using free software you can download from the Internet, you can place long distance calls to persons with the same software, for 0 cents per minute.

There are numerous versions out there. The one we tried is: Media Ring, and we have been quite happy with it.

These are just a few of the thousands of items you can find on the Internet. There are a growing number of Internet sites devoted to nothing but information about free stuff. Amongst our favorites are FreeShop and Free2try.

As with anything however, be an informed consumer. It's not FREE if it requires you to purchase something else or maintain some additional ongoing expense. Even if it is free, it may not serve your needs.

Check out how it works and how it fits into your lifestyle before you commit to the product. Other than that, happy "shopping".