Why not set yourself up
with an account at Hotmail or Yahoo?

You've figured out how to access a free Hotmail account via POP3 and SMTP?
Please tell.

To send/receive Hotmail via POP3/SMTP using Outlook Express 6, try this:
Tools, Email Accounts -- Add A New Email Account -- Server Type select
HTTP -- Under Server Information just select Hotmail from the drop down
menu. Enter all the other details. Click next and you are done. I set this
up a while back for a client and it worked. Give it a try and let us know
if it worked for you.

For Yahoo and others, you can try this:
http://www.jmasoftware.com/english/index.html
I've never tried this, haven't had anyone ask before...

Hope this helps,

Paul