By Michelle Johnson, Globe Correspondent

No need to panic just because the holidays are looming and your moolah is short. The Web's got plenty free gift ideas, shopping aids, and entertainment tips.

MyFamily.com

It's one size, and fits all: A free family Web site. At www.myfamily.com, you can set up a site where you and yours can share fascinating vacation photos, host private chats, track special events such as birthdays on your own family calendar, and publish family news.

How it works: Enter your name and an e-mail address and hit the Create Site button. This leads to the real sign-up page where you name your site, i.e., the ''Johnson Family Web Site'' and enter a few more particulars such as your birth date, gender, and zip code, which they promise to keep confidential.

Hit Create Site again, and choose a user name and password. This brings you to a screen where you can invite members of your family to join the fun. Enter their names, e-mail addresses and birthdays (for the family calendar) to automatically send them an e-mail announcing the site.

Pros: Setup is fairly easy, and you don't have to worry about hiring the flaky kid down the street or wrestling with complicated software to have your own Web site.

Cons: The look and feel here is a little staid, but you can upload photos to give the site a some personality. And yes, yes, they do try to sell you stuff. There's a ''gift shop'' button conveniently located at the top of the screen for those times when you do find yourself flush with cash.

Tip: Don't stand for family members whining about being left out because they're not on line. Tell them to head to their nearest public library or other public Internet access site to join in the fun.

Shop 'til you drop off line

Some folks just can't cozy up to the idea of shopping on line. Yet they'll peruse a catalog of gewgaws, call an 800 number, and turn over their personal information to a strange voice on the other end of a phone line anytime. Go figure.

Well, if you're in love with catalog shopping, get over to www.freeshop.com and click the catalog link where you can click and order free catalogs to your heart's content. You'll find a broad range of catalogs for merchandise including apparel, toys, and home and garden accessories.

How it works: This is one-stop shopping for catalogs. Simply select the catalogs you want, type in where to send them, and sit back and wait for your mailbox to fill.

Pros: This service is a time-saver, and you may find something new here.

Cons: None, really. At least you get to choose your junk mail instead of waiting for retailers to send you offers for stuff you couldn't possibly use.

Meal deals

The Web's just one big cookbook. Don't believe me? Try going to your favorite search engine and typing in a couple of keywords, say ''turkey'' and ''recipe'' and see what you get back: Thousands of recipes for every possible dish you can imagine, all available on line for free. Sure, you could head to a bookstore and plop down some cash for a cookbook, and maybe you'll try two or three recipes in it.

Is this the year you give up the turkey and do a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner? Here's a complete meal (automailer.tahoenet. com/veg/thanksgiving.html) that includes butternut squash, walnut-apple stuffing, and cranberry-apple relish.

Carnivores like me will be happier perusing www.butterball.com for tips on turkey prep. Sign up to receive a free ''Passport to International Cuisine'' that includes recipes from all over the world.

How it works: Pick a search engine, any search engine (Google, AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, etc.). Type in a few of the ingredients you plan to use, or a generic term like ''vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner,'' and hit the search button. Of course, you may get back 45,000 entries, and not all of them will be good, but chances are there'll be something under one of those links to fit the bill.

Pros: The Web can be a fast, vast cookbook. And fun to search for new cooking ideas from folks who love cooking, entertaining, and sharing their secret recipes with the universe.

Cons: If you like having a photo of the finished product you may or may not get one. And there's no accounting for other people's tastes, so, chef beware. At amateur sites, there's no guarantee that recipes have been taste-tested the way the Pros do it.

Bargain basement

For an extensive list of links to freebies and cheapies just in time for the holiday season, drop by www.consumerworld.org, and click the ''Bargains'' link.

Michelle Johnson, an Internet Consultant, is a former editor for the Globe. Her e-mail address is mailto:mijohn@mail-me.com.