Recessionary/tough times: How do you develop your talent with little or no budget?

I have been (personally) doing this since I left IBM in1998.

I do lots of reading, get involved in discussions, have professional memebrships and subscriptions, participate in events, share my knowledge/experience, keep track of what's going on, amd tru ty to stay on top of the topics and areas of specialization and special focus/interest

Also... thanks to Google search, youtube, skype, slideshare and many other Internet goodies that are very helpful in this regard !