I started finding out by asking my parents and then my grandparents about their dates of birth and marriages and what they could remember about any family members further back. I also photocopied any certificates they showec me. I then confirmed info buying purchasing certificates for births, marriages and deaths, which got me back to the time of the census. So I was able to add siblings and find out where the family were living. Using the oldest member as a search tool it was sometimes possible to go back another ten years to the previous census and find the family again. It has been quite exciting to discover more of the family as I have gone further back as I had thought our family had been small. It can be a slow process but very addictive and very very rewarding.
Gembar