This post is a bit of a smorgasbord (what a satisfying word that is...) of ways to use your computer more thriftily. There's a bit of this and a bit of that.
Thrifty printing - saving ink, saving the pennies
All of those ink cartridges we get through are expensive items, so anything that can reduce the amount of ink used (especially when it's not a fancy document for public consumption) has to be good right? There are at least two good things you can do to save using ink unnecessarily:
- Reset your printing options to use less ink. In Word you select "File", "Print", "Properties", and then the graphics tab. You can then reset the resolution to a lower level so it sprays out fewer dots to make each letter.
- Download a new font called the ecofont:
This new font has been created by a Dutch company called Spranq, and the enlarged version above shows how it uses less ink by leaving tiny holes in each letter - these cannot be seen at normal font sizes. You can download it by following this link DOWNLOAD ECOFONT. I think it would also look pretty good with the holes visible - they look like all of those lights around a vanity mirror.
Don't lose money by being a victim
An important way to save money is to protect it in the first place and protect your computer from all the nasty viruses and hackers and general internet ne'er-do-wells who lurk in darkened doorways. There are many good ways to do this and most are far beyond my knowledge. However I can strongly recommend a company called Firetrust. They produce several really valuable products designed to keep you and your computer safe as you surf stylishly from blog to blog. I have used their products for many years and found them both reliable and a godsend.
I am going to particularly recommend their Mailwasher programme as this has served me well for over 10 years and I would not willingly be without it. In simple terms it checks your incoming emails before they are downloaded from your email service provider and highlights the naughty and the nasty. It is easy to use. It already knows where a lot of bad stuff comes from but it also has a very easy way of letting you mark emails as "good" or "spam". This way you can delete or bounce back the vulgar, the vile and the villanous. The result - you don't have to look at nasty stuff or timewasting messages. You also avoid letting in emails to your inbox that may have viruses or spying programmes secretly attached, and that will potentially save you a lot of grief and a lot of money. So, if you are fed up of your inbox filling up with ugly looking trash give it an early spring clean - it'll thank you one day, when it learns to talk.
FIRETRUST'S MAILWASHER
Shop smart
There are many ways to save money by shopping online, several of which I have referred to in previous posts. I am just going to mention a couple of new ones.
1. Internet Cashback enables you to earn varying amounts of cashback when you purchase from a range of retailers via the links from the Internet Cashback site. This includes many big names (Asda, Boots, M & S, Tesco to name but a few). This is a great idea with the following caveats:
a) Be strong, be organised - it is so easy to get drawn into buying things just because they are bargains or because we will get a nice wad of cash in return. I know its obvious, but if you don't need it in the first place don't buy it - you'll give yourself a much bigger cashback cheque that way. It is so easy to get carried away. But of course if you are buying anyway you might as well earn some cashback.
b) When I first clicked on the "cashback shops" link near the top of their page I was a bit underwhelmed - not many shops there I thought. D'uh, just me being a bit slow - these are just the "featured" shops. Click through the letters and you will see loads of familiar names.
c) Do be careful to follow their instructions. If you don't go via their links you won't get your cashback, and who'll be sorry then, hmmm?
There are many ways to save money by shopping online, several of which I have referred to in previous posts. I am just going to mention a couple of new ones.
1. Internet Cashback enables you to earn varying amounts of cashback when you purchase from a range of retailers via the links from the Internet Cashback site. This includes many big names (Asda, Boots, M & S, Tesco to name but a few). This is a great idea with the following caveats:
a) Be strong, be organised - it is so easy to get drawn into buying things just because they are bargains or because we will get a nice wad of cash in return. I know its obvious, but if you don't need it in the first place don't buy it - you'll give yourself a much bigger cashback cheque that way. It is so easy to get carried away. But of course if you are buying anyway you might as well earn some cashback.
b) When I first clicked on the "cashback shops" link near the top of their page I was a bit underwhelmed - not many shops there I thought. D'uh, just me being a bit slow - these are just the "featured" shops. Click through the letters and you will see loads of familiar names.
c) Do be careful to follow their instructions. If you don't go via their links you won't get your cashback, and who'll be sorry then, hmmm?
2. Save buckets
No, no, no, - it's not the latest version of save the whale. Rest easy, buckets are not an endangered species. This is a price comparison site, like Kelko or Pricerunner. I have used it a few times and find it pretty easy and reliable. Nothing fancy just quite straightforward:
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