How do you save money on software

Discussion in Software PC & Mac started by Denis Hard • Mar 28, 2014.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Apart from the obvious, that is getting free open-source software I'd like to know if there are other ways you can save some cash if you want to buy software.

    Can you get discounts . . . or just anything like some sort of promotion to get software at discounted prices or even, free?
     
  2. mistymi

    mistymiActive Member

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    Amazom seems to have some software discounted. I got Sketchbook Pro 66% off there but the discount seemed random. Steam has software on sale but it's mostly for content creation or game development. There are student discounts and versions too of course for Autodesk and Adobe software.
     
  3. mikelouis

    mikelouisActive Member

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    I normally try to find sites that sell the software at a cheaper price of course they have to be legit. I do not want losing my money to other scammers online. But in most cases I prefer just to buy from the official websites rather than end up with a bad software.
     
  4. Quaestor

    QuaestorMember

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    There are plenty of free and open source (meaning you can look at how the program was made) software alternatives to a lot of things.

    Log In

    is an alternative to Microsoft office - it's not as finished, but it works perfectly well and can open/save in every format.

    Log In

    is an alternative to Photoshop

    There's a whole list on Wikipedia

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    I rarely pay for software as there is almost always a free, legal and safe alternative.
     
  5. Oakster

    OaksterActive Member

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    Another alternative to Microsoft Office is Open Office, I've been using it for years and never found any reason to complain.
    Other than that, you can find a good deal online for just about any software you're looking for, you just need to ask on this forum for example and someone will know somewhere you can get it at a discount :)
     
  6. lovemwaf

    lovemwafActive Member

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    To be honest with you, i dont think that i have ever really bought software. I usually am online and will down load torrents for the software that i want. I think that a lot of the really good and important software are usually over priced hence resorting to downloading.
     
  7. AB9100

    AB9100Member

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    Saving money on programs software is easy.

    This is a common question on forums around the net, and the simple answer is to search Google for a free alternative. You are sure to find something that will suit your needs. That best thing is it will not cost you any money at all.

    In these situations i usually visit sourceforge.net. They catalog every program available for download. They have a great search feature. so, all you have to do is enter the kind program you are looking for, and they will find something for you.
     
  8. Magicman94

    Magicman94Member

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    Another way to get huge discounts is to buy software that's one or two versions out of date. Also, a lot of student software, like office 365, only requires a college email account, if you have one. Instead of $100 a year you can get it for only $79.99 for 4 years. Of course, that's only if you have a valid .edu email. If you want a cloud office suite, look to google drive. I've used it for a few years now and it's been great.
     
  9. deathbyprayer

    deathbyprayerActive Member

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    Well I suggest you to not buy directly from the dev company since they will charge you at full price, go through online re sellers like Amazon or go check out eBay for sometimes they sell softwares at a relatively low price. Another thing is to buy online instead of buying physical discs, I don't know about your place, but from where I live, physical discs or installers for softwares usually cost more compared to online downloads, but I guess there's really not much to worry about that since most softwares nowadays don't come in physical discs anymore
     
  10. AB9100

    AB9100Member

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    I agree with this somewhat.

    However. The older versions of the software program will not have the same features. i would not want an inferior product, and i especially do not want to pay for it. I think your idea is makes sense, but it is not realistic to me.

    There is always a knock-off version of the program you want to buy, That is available online for free. The really good one's provide updates. just like a paid program would. I will have to stay with those.
     
  11. Magicman94

    Magicman94Member

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    I do agree that you aren't getting most of the new features, but if you absolutely need a specific program and nothing else will do, it's often the cheapest option.

    Also, if you don't really need to use many of the modern features like in the newer versions of office, buying the newest version is almost pointless. I know someone who works as a secretary at a local law office and their PCs still rock windows 98 and MS office 97, and it works just fine for them. Hackers really don't go after windows 98 since so few people still use the outdated OS. Windows XP is such an appealing target since it's still the 2nd most used OS.
     
  12. Dillon Hinojos

    Dillon HinojosNew Member

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    In my experience, being a full time student has gotten me discounts on software such as Microsoft Office and a few other related programs. Having a .edu email will, in some cases, get you discounts you wouldn't normally get. Amazon also has some software cheaper than other places if you aren't a student.
     
  13. obliviousme

    obliviousmeActive Member

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    Honestly, i just really download free things online. I can't remember the last time i spend anything for a software. I do torrent instead. I know it's not completely legit but hey, it's there for free so why bother paying, everybody does it anyway.
     
  14. teabwoi

    teabwoiActive Member

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    When I am looking to get software for cheap the first thing I do is head over to Amazon. Every single day it seems like they are having a deal on something so what I like to do is that I just like to go on there and if I see a good deal I will ensure that I scoop it up quickly.
     
  15. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

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    You can check websites that list discount codes for almost every store. If I want to save money on a software that I will just use for a few days, I just download the trial version. They usually last for a week or so. After that, I uninstall it and unsubscribe. If I want to avail the trial version again, I just make a new email address for it.
     
  16. toradrake

    toradrakeActive Member

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    If you go to the software company's website where they are talking about the software you are interested in, you might find a coupon or the site might have a link to where you can get it at a discounted price. I did that a few times.
     
  17. DesignerMum

    DesignerMumActive Member

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    Softwares and computer programmes do give out discounts and special offers to students and teachers. The way to do it is to show that you are a full-time students of a valid university. They will apply the discount, although I have the impression that they don't really like giving out discounts to individuals. There are enterprise options for members of organizations and that's more commonly applied to companies and organizations. :eek: There is also the branding and blogger's programmes where you apply to the company to write reviews and get paid for your writings, and in this case there would be an option on disclosing the arrangement to the readers. Discounts and free products for bloggers to review should be more common because it's a business-type of relationship. I'm learning that more and more countries are accommodating this type of a win-win-win relationship between writers-brands-publishers.
     
  18. Squigly

    SquiglyActive Member

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    I know a friend who downloads the trials of different versions of Photoshop. If you're not planning to use it that often, you can get away with installing and uninstalling a different trial version every time since the trial lasts for 30 days.
     
  19. Sugarhill

    SugarhillActive Member

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    I'll find a deal the best way I can without resorting to theft. Right now, Microsoft is offering a Work and Play bundle that will incredibly timely as I wanted to purchase Access 2013, but now will be able to get the entire 2013 suite, plus a few more offerings from Microsoft that I like to use for about $200.