Money saving computer and internet tips

There are lots of ways to save money on computer expenses including free software, reducing the amount of printer ink you use, and inexpensive internet service.

Below I summarize several new and previously published tips from our customer blog that you can implement immediately to start potentially saving hundreds of dollars each year.

• Free Microsoft Office alternative office suite If the Office trial that came with your computer ran out or you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade to a new version, a free alternative includes a word processor and programs for creating spreadsheets, presentations and drawings.

• Free Anti-Virus / Anti-Spyware protection There’s no need to keep paying companies like Norton, McAfee or Trend Micro an annual fee to inform you about virus threats which may be on your computer. There are free programs which work just as well (if not better).

• Cheaper internet If you are paying over $20 per month for high-speed or dial-up internet service, there are cheaper alternatives. AT&T currently offers high-speed internet service as low as $10/month for new customers or $20/month for existing customers. Those prices are for 768 Kbps service – most casual internet and e-mail users would not notice a difference if downgrading from a faster, more expensive plan.

• Save money on printer ink Most of the time there’s no need to use color or print at a high-quality setting when printing a web page or e-mail. Follow my tips on how to save ink and money.

• Get free on-line backup Mozy charges just $4.95/month for a service which automatically backs up an unlimited number of files on your computer to a secure online storage area. If you need less than 2 GB of files backed-up they offer a free service plan.

• Get the best deal on a new computer If you are in need of a new computer, I tell you what extra features and add-ons you can avoid so that you can get the best deal.

• The best bang-for-the-buck computer upgrade Adding RAM (Random Access Memory aka “Memory”) is the usually the best bang-for-the-buck hardware upgrade to make your computer faster.