Author: Nichelle Barra Page 45 of 91

Thrifty Thursday and Review: The 15 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists

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On 3 September 2015

In Research, Resources, Review

15 Habits Highly Frugal - Cover

Book Description from the author:

“Researching your family history can be fun, but like many hobbies, it can turn into an obsession, and an expensive one at that. There are many ways to save money while you pursue the “hunt” for your roots: some are just common sense while others are, frankly, ingenious. Also keep in mind that it doesn’t pay to be so focused on “frugal” that in the long run you either lose money or that genealogy is no longer “fun.”

The title of this book is misleading, and intentionally so. The fact is, you’ll find over 30 amazing ways to save money when purchasing genealogy-related products and services. You may already be using some of these tricks, but I guarantee that once you starting using some of the more unusual money-saving tips, you’ll say to yourself, “Now, why didn’t I think of that!”

Finally, the end of The 15 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists is filled with special offers exclusively for those who have purchased this book. These deals were specifically negotiated with certain vendors and most use links or promo codes that are valid through the end of 2015.

SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS!

As a reader of The 15 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists, you’ll have exclusive access to the following deals negotiated with specific vendors.

  • MyHeritage: Save 35% off a Premium Plus account and 1 year Data Subscription
  • Legacy Tree Genealogists: $45 off any genealogy research project
  • Hack Genealogy Boot Camp: 30% off any digital download
  • Legacy Family Tree: 15% off an annual membership at Legacy Family Tree webinars; 15% off Legacy Family Tree Deluxe Software
  • Shop Family Tree: 15% off any one item at ShopFamilyTree.com
  • Amazon: Various savings on genealogy products
  • Family Tree Tours: Save $50 on any tour booking
  • Flip-Pal® mobile scanner: Save $35 on a special Flip-Pal mobile scanner bundle
  • Larsen Digital: 10% off ALL conversion services including audio, video and more!
  • AncestryDNA: Free Shipping on all AncestryDNA kits
  • Evidentia: 20% off Evidentia software
  • Genealogical Publishing Company: 30% off all items at Genealogical.com”

Thomas MacEntee’s newest e-book The 15 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists does not disappoint! There are so many great pieces of advice in this short read and, as he said in the description, more than just 15. There were things even I had no clue about (and I consider myself pretty frugal). Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Holiday’s can mean FREE access for several websites! This is a great time to hear this one as Labor Day is this weekend and I’ve already shared some of the free access to come this weekend.
  • Cycling on/off your subscriptions and how to use Ancestry.com wisely and frugally
  • Ever cancelled your subscription and had them resubscribe you anyway? There’s a fix for that!
  • How to use Amazon.com to your advantage – there are some GREAT tips in the book about that (and not just genealogy related)!

Not only are the tips useful, but he also gives you a great list of discounts! The e-book is priced at $2.99 and the savings you’ll earn by following his advice and taking advantage of his discounts will make this book free and then some!

To top it all off, this e-book will be FREE to download starting tomorrow and through Sunday. Really, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

Full Disclaimer: I was given a copy of the book to review for my blog. All the opinions are my own!

Mystery Monday: DNA Connection – But Where?

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On 31 August 2015

In Discovery, DNA, Research

I shared a while ago about my grandparents getting their DNA tested for me and that I had been impatiently waiting for results. Those results had actually finished quite some time ago and I’ve been slowly learning and playing with the results. I haven’t done enough to merit a blog post… yet.

My chromosome browser with my maternal grandparents selected

My chromosome browser with my maternal grandparents selected – It isn’t surprising that I share more segments with my grandmother; I definitely take after her 🙂

 

I do make sure to always answer emails about possible connections (something I have heard isn’t done as often as others would like). One thing immensely neat about having my grandparents DNA is that I can begin to narrow down connections as well!

To explain, I was emailed by someone, we’ll call him John Doe for the moment, saying that we have a 3rd-5th cousin match, which he is hoping may be able to solve some brick walls for him. So, to see what side he is related to, either my dad’s or my mom’s, I can now check to see if he is related to either of my grandparents – and he is! To my grandfather specifically; and he’s listed as being a 2nd-4th cousin. Nice, right? Which means that John Doe and I are probably 4-5th cousins, so we have a 3x or 4x great-grandparent in common.

I LOVE that I can do that now!

John Doe happens to be looking for a very specific geographic location – Canada. The lineage he is going after happens to be French Canadian. This is also excellent because my grandfather’s paternal line  and my grandfather’s maternal grandfather all came over from central Europe; making it much easier to pinpoint what family we may be connected with.

With that, I have it narrowed down a bit. My 4th great-grandmother came from Montreal. Her name is Ellen (Belgard) LaValley. Her parents are Joseph and Sophia (Levereaux ) Belgard – all French Canadian.

So, I may have found the connection. Now comes the mystery – how are the two families connected?

At the moment, he is making a tree with his information, and I’m doing the same with my information and we are hoping to meet somewhere in the middle. And so far… we haven’t.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that I’m chasing down the wrong lineage. There is my 4th great-grandmother, Martha (Dean) Pape, whom I can’t yet confirm her parents names, and therefore can’t say for sure that her lineage is not French Canadian.

The line could also come from the LaValley’s, whom I only have as far as Joseph, Ellen Belgard’s husband, who came from New York but whose family could also be from Canada.

So many choices! Just think if I couldn’t have narrowed it down as much as I had! A moral of this story – get your family members tested! And as far back as you possibly can!

I did hear that my 2nd great-aunt is still alive (sister to my great-grandmother – and connected to the line I’m currently chasing), but I’ve never met her and I think it may not go well if I showed up and asked her to spit in a tube… 🙂

 

Stay tuned for more on this mystery! It has become my research focus for September!

 

 

Friday Finds August 22nd-28th

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On 28 August 2015

In Friday Finds, Resources

By InfoGibraltar (Flickr: FESTIVAL LITERARIO GIBRALTAR25) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By InfoGibraltar (Flickr: FESTIVAL LITERARIO GIBRALTAR25) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Blogs/Articles

Webinars/Videos

Resources

  • FindMyPast Friday New Records:
    • Manchester Electoral Registers Browse 1832-1900
    • Irish Newspapers
    • Derbyshire Hospital Admissions and Deaths
    • New Zealand, Nelson, Petition After the Wairau Incident 1843

Friday Finds: August 15-21

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On 21 August 2015

In Friday Finds

By J Dykstra (Personal photo) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Mackinaw Island Grand Hotel – By J Dykstra (Personal photo) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Blogs/Articles

Resources

Did I miss anything? Add it below or comment on Facebook!

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