Security on the Cheap

2009-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

There are numerous free and cheap internet/network security programs available for home use, but free options for business use are few and far between. Fortunately, Comodo has made available a complete security suite for home use and business use. Best of all, it is guaranteed to be free for life! It combines Comodo's award-winning firewall with their new Antivirus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware protection. While it is not quite as effective as some high-dollar options, it is getting better every day. Click here to check it out.

First Things First: Purchasing a PC

2009-01-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Over the past 3 years, I have purchased approximately 50 systems from one place - the Dell Outlet. Click here to peruse their offerings. You can save as much as 50% off of Dell's normal sale price on business class and home systems by following these steps:

Sign up for a free BigCrumbs.com account to save on every Ebay transaction you make. (This is an optional step as it will only save you a small amount). Use a personal email address to which you don't mind receiving junk mail. Click here to learn more about BigCrumbs.
Check live.com for special Ebay discounts. They will periodically offer as much as 30% off of an Ebay purchase. I purchased $400 of Dell gift certificates for $210 by using this service. Just go to live.com (Microsoft's search engine) and in the search enter: cheap bikes or just click here. You should see a link for Ebay at the top of the page. If the link doesn't mention a discount, then the promotion is not currently active.
Purchase $100 Dell gift certificates for $65 to $75 on Ebay. While these can only be used one at a time, they are still a nice way to save an additional $35 off of a system. Many Ebay sellers will list 4 at a time for $300 or so.
Be sure to sign up for Dell's email offers here. They will regularly send a 15% to 20% coupon for their various systems.
Sites like XP Bargains regularly post special coupons that Dell is offering. You can check out their most recent postings by clicking here.
Check the Dell home and business outlet regularly. Prices vary greatly on similar systems from day-to-day. The scratch & dent models can be particularly cost effective. The cosmetic flaws are usually rather small. I recently purchased a Quad-Core, dual hard drive, 8GB system for $425. The small scuff on the side of the case was worth the incredible savings. Similar configurations run about $900 on Dell's normal retail site.

I would love to hear your ways of saving on systems. I look forward to hearing your replies.

The Shoestring Office

Security on the Cheap

First Things First: Purchasing a PC