Genealogy: Tracking your family tree

I have always wanted to put together a family tree, but I never really knew just where to start. I have now decided that I am going to officially start working on one. I have tried this before and I did manage to get some headway before giving up. I traced family on my mothers side back to my great great great grandfather, ( at least I think thats the right amount of greats) who founded the small community of Bowersville, Ga. His name was William Bowers I believe. Anyway, There is no giving up this time though. I am determined to take on this very rewarding project. I went to my local library and picked out a book on tracing your ancestry. The book came with a computer disk. While the software is helpful, I will admit that it is laid out in a rather confusing fashion. I don't really want to pay money to access information on Ancestry.com. I really don't want to spend a cent on this project. I may end up paying for a little gas for traveling to different areas, but that is my set limit. I just thought I would come on here and sort of spread the word about this little project. I will post genealogy updates  from time to time detailing the progress I am making with my family tree. Hopefully eventually I can post a tree online for my family to see. Oh and also if you are a member of my family and you are reading this, if you know anything helpful please don't be afraid to send it over to me. I look forward to this historical adventure.