Save Money: Free Software
October 5, 2009 by Miranda Marquit
Filed under Finance
Buying software has become a necessity for many of us. From the need to buy protective software for while you are surfing the internet to software to help your personal finances, there are some expensive programs out there. However, there are some free software programs that work very well — at saving you money while doing what you need them to do. Here are some ideas for saving money on software:
Word processing and other office functions
The days when you need to shell out around $150 for Microsoft Office are past. If you want to save money on word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, you have a couple of options:
- OpenOffice.org This free office software can be used on Mac and on PC, and provides you with a suite of tools comparable to Microsoft Office.
- Google Docs You can store your documents and presentations online and access them from anywhere with Google Docs. I’m actually rather fond of Google Docs. You can invite others to view your work, and even give them permission to edit. It is also possible to convert a Google document into a Word document to send as an attachment.
Online security
You know you need to protect your security while you are online. You don’t have to buy an expensive anti-virus suite, however. It is possible to build your own — especially if you have Windows. Here are some programs you can use:
- Microsoft Windows Defender (free if you have Vista or XP)
- Spamfighter Standard
- Avira AntiVir Antivirus Personal
Money management
You probably know about such programs as Mint.com and Gnu Cash. However, there are some other great money management programs that can help you keep track of your expenses, budget and investments:
Image source: Daylife
Just install Linux, and ditch all the Windows problems altogether. Download it for free, Ubuntu is one of the easier, more popular and better maintained distros to install.
You make a good point :) I have a Mac. It’s not Linux, but I do like it better than Windows. I can’t convince my husband that Linux is an even better idea…
Both Linux and Mac OS are Unix-like Operating Systems. Mac is more polished and know for its user interface, but Linux can be configured to look and behave like a Mac if that’s what you want. If you have an old PC laying around that still works throw Ubuntu Linux on it and see what you think. The out of the box user interface is pretty ugly, but it can be changed. You do need to be computer savvy to configure, and willing to research problems and solutions, so not for the novice unless they have a strong desire to learn. More info can be found at http://thebizoflife.blogspot.com/search/label/Linux or http://www.ubuntu.com/.
You should also try SSuite Office for a free office suite. They have a whole range of office suites that are free for download.
Their software also don’t need to run on Java or .NET, like so many open source office suites, so it makes their software very small and efficient.
You may try these links:
http://www.ssuitesoft.com/index.htm
or
http://ssuite5element.webs.com/thefifthelement.htm