None of the houses in my neighborhood or the surrounding ones have gutters and we can't really afford them either. But when it rains the water runs off my house in this one spot and POOLS there. Any suggestions for keeping my flower bed from turning into a pond?

Try a splash block at the spot the water is hitting and divert the water to your lawn or somewhere else.

Splash Block -- County Materials: Manufacturer of Concrete Landscape and Architectural Masonry Products, Ready-Mix, Prestress, Precast (http://www.elstonblock.com/f_products/landscaping/patio_splashBlock.shtml)