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Cost of Living - How to Save money on your Digital Subscriptions and Services

23/9/2022

 
Picture Cost of Living - How to Save money on your Digital Subscriptions and Services
  • 2022 continues to hit our wallets with huge price rises across the board. We understand the strain these rises will be putting on everyone, we are feeling the pinch like everyone else. So this month we thought we would share our tips on how you can save money on your subscriptions to help you manage these difficult times.

  • Get organised
    First things first, check what you are actually paying for and whether you still use it! It might seem obvious but believe us when we tell you it’s not uncommon to have a monthly payment going out for something you’ve long since forgotten about! Make a list of all your subscriptions and go through them with a fine tooth comb. Trackmysubs has a free ‘starter’ level membership and is a great way to keep an eye on all your subscriptions so you’re less likely to overlook anything- great if you are partial to a free trial offer but often forget to cancel before the trial period ends!

  • Look for Cheaper Alternatives
    If you currently subscribe to office software you might be able to save money using a free alternative - open-source options are available for most types of desktop software. LibreOffice is a great alternative to Google Docs as it is fully compatible with Microsoft and doesn’t have the same formatting issues that sometimes arise when opening a Microsoft document in Google.

  • Compare Prices
    If you subscribe to multiple streaming services, consider if you need them all - often you can watch the same programme on different platforms so have a look and see if it’s cheaper to stream on one over another. 

  • Check your Plan
    Streaming services often have different plans to suit your needs. If you only use the service on one device you could save £££’s by opting for the basic package. This option is great for people who live alone and who don’t share an account with anyone.

  • Share your Subscriptions
    Most digital subscription services offer family plans including  Spotify, Amazon Prime, Google One and Microsoft 365. Check your subscription and see if there’s an option for sharing within your household.

  • Student Discount
    Amazon do an amazing trial offer for students who are new customers you get 6 months free trial and after that the plan is £4.49 month. Other great offers for students include Adobe Cloud and Microsoft 365 - check out studentdiscount.co.uk for loads more great deals on software subscriptions and services.

  • Free Trial
    If you just need a certain service/software for a one-off project then you might be able to get it completely free. Many companies offer a free trial for a certain amount of time so if you can complete your task within the trial period you won’t need to pay a penny - just remember to cancel it before your free trial period ends!

  • Pay Annually
    Sometimes it costs less to pay for a subscription upfront rather than spread it out over the year. If you can afford the initial outlay it is worth considering for some services.

We can help with any of your software installation issues - we understand it’s not always as straightforward as it should be so please get in touch for help and advice.

For more money saving ideas have a look at our blog ‘How Tech can Help you Save Money’

Do you have any burning questions you’d like us to cover in any of our upcoming blogs? We’d love to hear from you! Contact File Genie and let us know what topics you’d love to read!

Alternatives to Microsoft Office Software

23/11/2016

 
Picture
One of the most-used pieces of software on your computer after your internet browser, is likely to be your word processing or office package.

For many users, that’s likely to be Microsoft Office, but what if you don’t want to subscribe to Office 365 or pay a considerable sum to buy it?
 
Worry not – there are several alternatives out there for FREE!
 
Buyers of new iMac, iPad or Macbook will have Apple iWork suite which includes word processor, spreadsheet and presentation applications. They look different to MS Office but they all do a similar job to Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
 
If you are using a Windows PC, then there are several choices for you. The following software packages are all compatible with MS Office – you will be able to read Word documents for instance, as well as save your own documents in .doc or .docx format if you wish, but their file formats are also readable in MS Office applications. It works both ways.
 
Top of the list for me is LibreOffice which can do pretty much everything MS Office can do and has a similar look and feel. You can download it free, here. Open Office is very similar to Libre and is also downloadable free, here.
 
If you are looking for an office suite that you can also use on your Android device as well as your PC, then a good choice is Softmaker’s FreeOffice. Download it here.
 
Another option is Google Docs, along with Sheets and Slides. These can be used on any device with access to the internet – but that’s downside - you need to be online to use them. You don’t need to download these applications – simply use your google account to log into them. If you own an Android device, you will already be logged in. If you use the Chrome browser on your PC, or a Gmail account, you already have a Google account too. A bonus with Google products is that you can access your documents across all of your devices. That means you can make changes on your phone or tablet and they will show up on your PC (or Mac) as soon as you log into your Google account there.
 
One final note – some schools and colleges, and all UK universities, supply Microsoft Office Education access to their students for FREE. Ask at your child’s school if you aren’t sure.

'Alternatives to Microsoft Office Software' - written for File Genie by Freelance Writer Ruth Raymer @WritingWalking

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