Why pay for anything you don’t have to?  Software can be expensive, so always do your research before buying to find out if there is a free alternative available.  Below are some tips for finding free software online that will save you tons.

Free AntiVirus Software

• Some anti-virus companies have a free version of antivirus software. Here’s one – AVG Free.
• Avast – the home user edition is free.

Cloud Computing Services

If you want to take advantage of some “cloud computing” and domain services, try these:

• Microsoft Office Live – You bring the domain name, you can get a free website hosted there.
• Google Apps – Free email, word processing, spreadsheets, group calendars, group chat, and more.

Operating Systems

Picked up an old computer and can’t see spending the money to put Windows on it?  Try Linux. Some people love it, some people don’t understand it or are afraid of it, and some people just like what they’re already using. But nobody complains about the price tag of Ubuntu, one of the best “linux flavors” for a home pc or laptop.

Other Open Source

• More open source options include Open Office instead of paying for Microsoft Office.
• For a free, web-based Photoshop replacement I suggest Aviary (super-cool site, too!).
• And finally, if you find you’re getting a whetted appetite for open-source software, give Osalt a try, where you can find open-source alternatives to popular programs like Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat Pro.

I’ve personally tried a lot of open source software.  Usually I find it’s not as good and harder to support than the mainstream, paid-for software. But what do you expect for free, right? And did I mention it’s free?!

What free software have you come across?  Let us know (with links) in the comments!

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Smilebox.com is a scrapbooker’s dream, especially for those of us who are also using our blogs or email to keep in touch with family members.  They have hundreds of scrapbook designs, including full page layouts, in digital form.  Smilebox takes all of the hassle out of scrapbooking – no cutting, no gluing, no printing out photos.  Just upload your own photos, add the words you want (you can even put in music and videos), and you have a fully customized online scrapbook.   You can keep all of your pages online, post them to your blog, or even email them to eager grandmas and and other relatives that can’t wait to see your darlings!

This great free tool also makes it really easy to do something creative with the pictures from events, like birthdays or holidays.  They already have preset layouts for the major holidays and seasons, as well as weddings, vacations, anniversaries, and birthdays.

Smilebox also offers slide shows, greeting cards, e-cards, even baby shower cards and baby announcements.  I’m so all about Smilebox, that I even used it for my son’s birth announcement:

It works on both PCs and Macs, so go check it out today.  They do have a paid upgrade to the service which allows you to use the extra features if you want, but you don’t have to pay a dime to be able to make your scrapbook pages, email them or blog them!