Freerolls its pretty hard for me, although cash is alot easier. Lower stakes I treat as freerolls, people will take stupid risks to try to get ahead, then turn around and rebuy (if available) if they dont get lucky.
Freerolls and lower stakes I am way low % in the money (2% maybe but in freerolls I also play different myself and take more risks, but not outright donkey plays), in decent games, I am consistanly at least at the final table.
I do the same thing as you, build my bankroll through freerolls and very low stake tourneys/micro tables. I know your frustration well. Once I build up enough to avoid them, I avoid them like the plauge unless its a prize I wouldnt mind getting or a sat into a larger tourney I cant really afford to buy into.
If people dont have anything/much at stake, expect idiots to make it alot harder for you. Sometimes I will just fold anything I get at the start if I really want to try to get far into the tourney, no matter what I have (not putting up much of my stack even with AA against 9 dorks that hasnt figured out where the fold button is yet, one will get lucky).