We all like free stuff, but it's often quite hard to come by. Many of you here on ELFS have projects that, if you had the right components or gear, could get finished and perhaps become a huge success. But producing champagne on a beer budget is just as hard as buying it, so here are some resources to help you fill the gaps and get that stuff you need.

• Part samples: Ladyada.net has this really impressive and comprehensive list of where you can get samples of ICs, discretes, microcontrollers, dev kits, and all kinds of stuff. It was posted in 2011 (I don't know if it's been updated since) and has links and tutorial on how to get parts from Microchip, ADI, LT, TI, and heaps of other semiconductor manufacturers as well as enclosures, switches, connectors, etc. My experience is that you'd be shocked what you can get for free when you tell them that it could lead to a product that sells thousands/yr. Check it out here: http://www.ladyada.net/library/procure/samples.html

• Take a class: I've gotten quite a few free development kits from TI, NI, ADI, NXP, and other semiconductor manufacturers simply by attending one of their local free design seminars. This works best if you're in a metropolitan hub or nearby to one of their main offices. If so, there are often design courses, lectures, and practical hands-on sessions that you can attend for little or no cost, and you might walk away with a dev board, dev kit, and lots of part samples.

• Craigslist and Ebay: The former is great for free or super cheap stuff, but it depends on your location and the luck of your timing before others scoop up the best freebies. Back in Boston I've seen people giving away high value stuff like older Oscopes, DC benchtop supplies, signal generators, etc. Again, it helps if you're in a metropolitan area. Another good tactic is to trade and barter. Your junk is another's treasure, and if you don't believe me, check out what this guy traded up for with just a novelty paperclip! http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12346469/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/trade-paper-clip-house/

• Your local University or tech biz: In college, I was lucky enough to score some free stuff from the engineering lab when they were replacing old equipment with some new stuff. They don't always have the patience to resell it, and even so, a big smile and a chat about the projects you intend to work on can go a long way with scoring sympathy and maybe an old scope from a nice lab manager. This also goes for medium-large tech businesses with lab facilities. Doesn't hurt to ask if they're getting rid of anything, and even if not, make sure to give them your contact info and you might be surprised by a friendly call the next time they get all those new monitors in and the old ones are collecting dust in a storage room.

• Keep your eyes open! There is free stuff all around us for those that are actively on the lookout. Colleagues and likeminded friends are the best source, but places like ELFS, other engineering forums, LinkedIn, etc can be valuable places to hunt. And if you have a specific thing that you're looking for, what's the harm of dedicating a status update or three to asking your friends?