Where can you find your families history without having to use a credit card?

It depends which country you're in. In the UK, there are many groups who meet to help each other discover their family history. Additionally, there are Family History Centres, which are affiliated to the Church of LDS - who have people that can give you assistance in tracing past relatives through their records. They have access to birth, death an marriage records.

If you need to order copies of birth, death or marriage certificates, they can be obtained from the local registry office - on payment of a small fee.