Freebie alternatives: Save those Greens up for bigger purchases!

DieselDragn · 03-07-10, 04:04 PM

Ay up again!

Whilst writing my Reply to Stone Mount's intro a short while ago, it hit me that one useful thread might be one where workable and freely available alternatives to certain kinds of freebie could be shared - Which would allow people to use those free alternatives, and save up the Greens they'd otherwise use for bigger and better freebies!

In plain English (As my writing style isn't the most readable, I admit!) If ye can think of a free (Or very cheap) alternative to certain freebies, please post them in this thread. To stay safe and legal though, a couple of thread rules are recommended:

No reflinks of any kind whatsoever, in compliance with eXceem rules.
No links to downloads of any Copyright protected or proprietary content; Such as music, movies, non-free software, and the like.
No links or advice pointing to illegal or questionable procedures...Including mass mailing and spamming.

Fingers crossed, this thread might help people save on a few greens here and there!

+++ DieselDragon +++
_________________________________________________

Microsoft Office alternative: Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/)
An open source office and productivity package that is (As far as I know) fully compatible with Microsoft Office, and - Like MS Office - Can also be used to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the usual Microsoft DOC, XLS and PPT formats. OpenOffice is free software and can be downloaded from the above link for Windows and Linux, and there might be a Mac version knocking around as well.
.
Microsoft Windows alternative: Ubuntu Linux (http://www.ubuntu.com/)
A fairly new Linux distribution based on Debian, which provides a Linux-based environment which is quite similar in a lot of ways to Windows (Bar it's GNOME desktop, which resembles MacOS), and is very easy for Windows users to pick up and start using.
Like OpenOffice, Ubuntu is completely free - And an installation CD (An ISO image) can be downloaded from the URL above. Ubuntu supports a wide range of free and open-source software, and a range of closed-source but free drivers/applications are also available.
Additionally - Speaking from personal experience - Ubuntu also makes a great platform for embedded Internet terminals (It can be booted from a USB drive), and for advanced users also doubles as an excellent tool for low-level disk management, repair, and data retrieval.

adammcg · 03-07-10, 04:10 PM

This has very little relevance to saving greens as I assume most people will not be purchasing software through Freebiejeebies. However those are two helpful suggestions of how to save money on software generally. Do take notice however that Windows (XP/Vista & 7) as well as Office can be attained legally and cheaply if you are a student or parent from Software4Students. While OpenOffice is good (and comes with Ubuntu anyway), it is not as good as MS Office and if you require specific software (e.g. iTunes) i.e. do not merely surf the web, play videos etc, Ubuntu is not a great choice and is a hassle. Having said that, great recommendations for the casual PC user.

iFreeZone · 03-07-10, 04:20 PM

Although software has been given as an example, other things can be written about.

DieselDragn · 03-07-10, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iFreeZone

Although software has been given as an example, other things can be written about.

Aye, that's pretty much what I was thinking when I made my OP.

Anyhow...Just came back from a smoke break and had another one come to mind. I was going to put it in my OP, but it looks like I don't have rights to edit my posts yet (If that right is ever give) - So I'll drop it here insted.
Also, I've thought of a colour-code system for different types of alternative, which highlights their ease and any risk involved:

Green alternatives: Those which are immediateley available, involve no complex process, cost nothing, and are free of any risk.
Amber alternatives: Those which can be obtained by following a moderately easy process of some kind, involve small investment (Under GBP £5.00) or involve a negligable element of risk. Participation in referral programmes (Like FreebieJeebies) would come under this heading.
Red alternatives: Those which involve a complicated proces to obtain, require fiscal investment of some kind over a Fiver, or involve a degree of risk which could result in loss if the process fails for whatever reason.

* - By "risk" I mean the chance of the process or alternative failing, or the loss of any kind of investment made in pursuing the alternative.

Theoretical example - Free Honey:

Asking family/friends: If ye only need a teaspoon or two for a recipe or cold remedy, one of thy friends or family might be willing to let ye have some of theirs.
Bee-keeping: If ye use a lot of honey thyself, it might be worth erecting and keeping a beehive and producing thy own. This could be expensive in the beginning, but ye could sell off any surplus to friends/family, or local grocery stores.

_________________________________________________
Anyhow...Here's my alternative for obtaining electronic goods and similar items:

Purchasing/reselling job lots on eBay: (http://wholesale.shop.ebay.co.uk/)
If ye have need of small quantities of a certain item and it's available to purchase on eBay as a job-lot, then it might be worth buying the job-lot, removing the items that ye need, and reselling the rest as individual units. If ye set the unit price well based on the original cost-per-unit paid (I.E: I buy 50 pen drives for £50,- incl. P&P, take five for myself, then resell the rest at £1.30 +P&P each) ye might not only recover what ye paid in the beginning, but also make a profit on top! A good tip here is to try and undercut every other seller, and listing at just above cost price may be worthwhile, even if it minimises potential profits.
Beware though that this can be a particularly tricky business on eBay, and is only recommended for those who are both willing - And can afford to - Take such a risk with the money they spend on the job-lot.

FAO Moderators: If the board supports such user permissions, could a Mod please give me perpetual edit rights to my OP at the top of the thread? It'd allow me to collate all known alternatives in the first post, and make it easier to use as a reference article. Cheers!

mcgrou · 03-07-10, 04:59 PM

http://www.exceem.co.uk/forums/online-freebies/

Edit Holy mother @ above post

03-07-10, 04:04 PM	#1
DieselDragn iPod Nano 4GB Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Location, Location! Posts: 302	Freebie alternatives: Save those Greens up for bigger purchases! Ay up again! Whilst writing my Reply to Stone Mount's intro a short while ago, it hit me that one useful thread might be one where workable and freely available alternatives to certain kinds of freebie could be shared - Which would allow people to use those free alternatives, and save up the Greens they'd otherwise use for bigger and better freebies! In plain English (As my writing style isn't the most readable, I admit!) If ye can think of a free (Or very cheap) alternative to certain freebies, please post them in this thread. To stay safe and legal though, a couple of thread rules are recommended: No reflinks of any kind whatsoever, in compliance with eXceem rules. No links to downloads of any Copyright protected or proprietary content; Such as music, movies, non-free software, and the like. No links or advice pointing to illegal or questionable procedures...Including mass mailing and spamming. Fingers crossed, this thread might help people save on a few greens here and there! +++ DieselDragon +++ _________________________________________________ Microsoft Office alternative: Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/) An open source office and productivity package that is (As far as I know) fully compatible with Microsoft Office, and - Like MS Office - Can also be used to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the usual Microsoft DOC, XLS and PPT formats. OpenOffice is free software and can be downloaded from the above link for Windows and Linux, and there might be a Mac version knocking around as well. . Microsoft Windows alternative: Ubuntu Linux (http://www.ubuntu.com/) A fairly new Linux distribution based on Debian, which provides a Linux-based environment which is quite similar in a lot of ways to Windows (Bar it's GNOME desktop, which resembles MacOS), and is very easy for Windows users to pick up and start using. Like OpenOffice, Ubuntu is completely free - And an installation CD (An ISO image) can be downloaded from the URL above. Ubuntu supports a wide range of free and open-source software, and a range of closed-source but free drivers/applications are also available. Additionally - Speaking from personal experience - Ubuntu also makes a great platform for embedded Internet terminals (It can be booted from a USB drive), and for advanced users also doubles as an excellent tool for low-level disk management, repair, and data retrieval.

03-07-10, 04:20 PM	#3
iFreeZone Mini Mac Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 7,557	Although software has been given as an example, other things can be written about. __________________ Free iPod \| Facepalm

03-07-10, 04:59 PM	#5
mcgrou - - - - - - - Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: - Posts: 5,156	http://www.exceem.co.uk/forums/online-freebies/ Edit Holy mother @ above post __________________ Spoiler Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned - Tyler Last edited by mcgrou; 03-07-10 at 05:00 PM..

03-07-10, 04:10 PM	#2
adammcg iPod 30gb Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,459	This has very little relevance to saving greens as I assume most people will not be purchasing software through Freebiejeebies. However those are two helpful suggestions of how to save money on software generally. Do take notice however that Windows (XP/Vista & 7) as well as Office can be attained legally and cheaply if you are a student or parent from Software4Students. While OpenOffice is good (and comes with Ubuntu anyway), it is not as good as MS Office and if you require specific software (e.g. iTunes) i.e. do not merely surf the web, play videos etc, Ubuntu is not a great choice and is a hassle. Having said that, great recommendations for the casual PC user.