To save money, I pre-prepare as much as possible so I can go through the records quickly. Most people reading this will probably be doing the same, but hints to save money: · If you have found dates from IGI etc already, have a list so you can just go in, get the original document for all the extra information and then move on. · If you don’t have dates etc, work out your likely time frame etc beforehand; you don’t want your precious expensive minutes ticking by whilst you are doing research you could have done before you started the clock ticking. · With most sites, you can do a search and you can often see from the search result whether that has brought up anything you would like to see – add it to your list. · When you have a subscription, once you’ve been through your list, then go back and analyse those documents for further information. · Keep a list – of absolutely everything – you might want in the future. For instance, as Ancestry is currently giving free access to the Immigration/Travel records, I have been able to go in and pick up several things for free. [PS. The freebie from Ancestry runs out on 5th Sept] I then just have to pay for the minimum amount of time needed when I take out a paid subscription. It can be a frustrating way of working but when records are on several different sites, it’s too expensive to keep subscriptions to them all. I better get my Essex list ready … Regards June Got below from the most recent Lost Cousins newsletter which may help further. You might need to be holding a tissue as the proposed prices made my eyes water a bit:- Essex Ancestors - launch delayed The launch of Essex Ancestors, the proposed online register service from the Essex Records Office which was due to start around now has been delayed by "a couple of months". However, the subscription prices have been announced: £5 for a day, £15 for a week, £25 for a month, £50 for 6 months and £75 for a year. It sounds expensive compared to sites like Ancestry and findmypast which offer far more records, but on the other hand it will still be cheaper for me than a 50 mile roundtrip to Chelmsford. Mick L