Agreed.  Free Bitcoin sites won't get you anywhere.  Either you mine or buy and sell.  Those are the two options I see.  The big problem is there's cost involved with mining, between power requirements for GPU rigs or specialized hardware.  Best bet is to buy low and sell high.  While this isn't good for Bitcoin in my eyes, it's the easiest way to make money with the currency.  Just don't play with more than you can afford to lose.  If that's one bitcoin, it's one bitcoin.  Keep your head on straight.