I am a Adobe Fireworks fan. I have been using it for years and typically prefer to use it over Illustrator + Photoshop. However, more and more free or cheap tools alternatives are becoming available. Here are a few that I know of.

http://alternativeto.net/

http://www.irfanview.com/

http://pixlr.com/

http://www.splashup.com/light/

http://www.aviary.com/#sectionadvanced [Check out education options: http://www.aviaryeducation.com/]

http://inkscape.org/

http://www.openoffice.org/ (draw program)

http://www.gimp.org/

http://paint.net/

http://www.memecode.com/image.php

Easy Photo Editor

What others do you know of? Which one of these are the best?