Buy good refurbished PCs. If you follow my articles here, you may know I warn against buying very cheap computers. However, if your budget doesn't allow for a new computer in the $500+ range, consider refurbished computers in the $300 range. Though refurbished, you'll likely have a better performing machine than a brand new very cheap computer. But again, that all depends upon the specs of the machine, so consult with someone that understands them before purchasing.
Buy cheaper accessories and cables. Generally the highest marked up tech products are accessories and cables, especially in the big-box stores like Best Buy. Check any local smaller electronics stores or online retailers like Amazon before purchasing chargers, USB cables, network cables and other tech accessories.
Save product keys for purchased software. It's best to save the discs and/or product keys for any software you purchase, such as Microsoft Office, in case you must re-install after a disaster or when upgrading or replacing your computer. Even if you don't have the disc it's usually possible to download the software and then re-install it if you have the product key. Keep in mind, the product key can even be retrieved from most crashed systems using a special utility.
Use open source software. There is a whole other software community you may not know of: free open source software. This software is usually developed by volunteers or sponsored by companies and their source code freely released along with the software. An open source alternative to Microsoft Office is LibreOffice, for instance, and then Thunderbird and Lighting instead of Microsoft Outlook. GIMPShop is an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. GnuCash is a slimmed down version of Microsoft Money or Quicken.
Get a periodic checkup of your PC. I suggest getting at least a yearly checkup and cleaning of your computer by a professional, which can help catch any issues before they end up costing you much more to fix.
Use good security protection. For computers, ensure you have a good antivirus and also an extra malware scanner as well. For mobile devices, ensure you have an anti-theft and remote locating app or service activated in case it becomes lost or stolen.
Lower your Internet speed. Though your Internet provider will likely want you to sign-up for one of their fastest Internet connections, you probably don't need it. Usually, you don't need more than 10 Mbps for a small family, even if playing games or streaming videos. For a minimum, I suggest having a connection with at least a 2 Mbps speed.
Lower your data limit for mobile devices. If you have a smartphone or tablet that uses the cellular data for Internet, ensure you aren't paying for way more data than you need. When at home make sure your mobile devices are connecting to the Wi-Fi, so your cellular data isn't used. Check your actual data usage from your phone bills and make any changes to your limits if necessary.
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