Where to find free and low-cost classes on food, home projects and more

Composting, container gardening, irrigation and pest management are part of the course work at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Flamingo Gardens, which offers free classes in organic gardening and exterior landscaping.

But you don't have to travel to South Florida to get a free education. Throughout the U.S., libraries, community centers, retail stores and other locations provide instructions, computer training and holiday craft classes for little or no charge. .

Here's a rundown of where you may find free and low-cost classes.

• Home projects: Home Depot offers free workshops and tutorials through the Home Improver Club (www.homeimproverclub.com). Past classes have included interior painting, drywall repairs and bathroom design. Other courses offer information about energy-efficient lighting, air conditioning systems and appliances. Free sessions at Lowe's include classes about kitchen renovations, faux painting and laminated floor installations. On its Web site (www.lowes.com), Lowe's has an online library, with step-by-step guides for thousands of projects. Locally owned hardware stores and garden centers also offer community classes or one-on-one informational sessions. Ask your favorite store if it offers classes or demonstrations.

• Low-cost and free cooking classes: On its monthly event calendar, Whole Foods features free and low-cost wine-tasting seminars, cooking lessons and in-store demonstrations. Go to wholefoods.com and enter your zip code to find a store in your neighborhood. Recent freebies have included a cooking class featuring vegetarian Indian-style food. Other grocery stores, bookstores, cookware shops and large department stores also offer free or low-cost cooking demonstrations. Most stores publish an online calendar of events or distribute paper copies at checkout counters.

• Community centers: Community colleges, state parks and civic centers also provide free and low-cost lectures, demonstrations and classes for all ages. Local government agencies, neighborhood centers and not-for-profit organizations run a variety community education and entertainment programs.

• Online tutorials: And of course, social media resources provide an active network of free online classes, webinars, podcasts and tutorials on healthcare, marketing, personal typing and other topics. My teenage son, for example, studies body-building techniques from different experts who have posted videos on youtube.com.

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg is the author of the "Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money" — a coming-of-age memoir about money — and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's "10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget."