One of my current favorite "tightwad tech" tools is Adobe's free ConnectNow remote meeting service. It offers a lot of flexibility for a free service. It includes video conferencing, chat, screen sharing, and a multi-user whiteboard.  It even offers the ability for one participant to remotely control the computer of another participant - with prior permission of course. The service is browser based, making it "platform agnostic." It doesn't matter what operating system you're using, all you need is an Internet connection, a browser, and the latest Adobe Flash player and you're in business.

The biggest limitation is the three attendee limit for meetings. Monthly/annual subscription upgrades are also available for five-or twenty-person meetings. ConnectNow is essentially a limited-use trial of Adobe's ConnectPro software, but the available features make it useful for small meetings or collaborations.  For more information see http://www.adobe.com/acom/connectnow/ or http://www.acrobat.com.