Essential Ways to Save Money on Software and Digital Services

"Microsoft Word" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by quinn.anya

The software world today is broader and more helpful than ever, but with this variety comes issues. For the end user, the biggest concern many of us have revolves around cost. We’ll often need many types of software and services to bring our digital work, communication, and entertainment systems up to speed, and these combined prices aren’t cheap.

Too often we become accustomed to the slowly building momentum that adds up to more than we realise, and to save your monthly bills, this is something we need to address. Rather than adding one more bill to the pile, it can be best to take a step back, calculate how much you really spend, and take another approach.

Freeware is a Real Possibility

We aren’t the only ones frustrated with expensive software, as dedicated programmers and developers have also felt the same pinch. Pain here is so common that practically every piece of software you can imagine will offer some kind of open-source and freeware version.

Some of the more popular examples are Microsoft’s suite of products like Word. Free replacements like Apache OpenOffice Writer can manage most of what their inspirations can do, without an expensive one-off or subscription. Simply Google search the software you want plus “freeware replacement”, and you’ll likely find a helpful path to follow.

Check Competitive Marketplaces

The more competition exists in a market, the more companies will be willing to offer it for free or cheap. Some of the best examples of this are found in the landscape of online casinos, which often welcome new players with the likes of deposit matches and free spins. Services like Bet On Red and CryptoLeo also help users by providing access to a full range of features before you’re heavily invested, so you can make a more careful and informed choice.

This can also be found in the world of video games and streaming services. Welcome promotions and trial periods can provide in-depth access for free or minor investments in the initial access period. If you don’t like what you see, you won’t have much to lose, so there’s only minimal risk.

Track Down Older Software

A common tactic software developers embrace today is to use subscription packages to continually drain your wallet. This wasn’t the case for older software, however, and much of this older software is still available today.

To return to the Microsoft example, if you are in desperate need of an actual copy of MS Word, software key-selling websites like Kinguin can help. These have old versions like Office 2016 and 2021 for sale, which are still perfectly usable, but which only require a one-time purchase.

“Microsoft Office app icon on smartphone” (CC BY 2.0) by Ivan Radic

To reiterate an earlier point, we need to point out the trap that so many of us fall into with multiple running subscription plans, While small individually, these create huge ongoing costs when added together over a longer period. Considering how often users forget about these subscriptions, move on from them, or lose their user account details, these prices are a real threat. Consider the options listed above, take a few minutes to learn how they work, and your wallet will eventually thank you.

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