Even when the economy’s doing well, who doesn’t like getting something for nothing? All of the items below are free, although some may require a small shipping and handling fee or SASE.
Rather than listing Web addresses, which can change without notice, the italicized words below can be used as search terms to find the items mentioned.
Learn the sign language alphabet, and even get a free pin with the universal symbol for “love.” You can find these and other great free stuff for writers through Freebies online magazine. Not everything is geared toward writers, but current offers include booklets, stickers, craft ideas, and informational products.
WordPress
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own blog, but don’t know where to start, try WordPress. This software is totally free, and offers many great features. All you need to get started is an email address; you will get your own blog address through WordPress.com. They offer a selection of themes and designs, plus plenty of file storage and features like spam killers and built-in stats, and the option to make your public or private for just your friends.
Free Business Cards
You can design business cards on your home computer and print them on your color printer, but no matter what kind of paper you use, the ink is likely to fade and run. For a more professional look, Vistaprint offers a selection of free business cards; all you pay is shipping. With more than 50 full color backgrounds to choose from, you’re likely to find one that fits your personal style. For a coordinated look, they also sell matching stationery products. Premium business cards are also available for a much lower price than you’ll find through your local print shop.
Other Freebies
Buying all the software you need can get very expensive. With a little sleuthing, however, you can find plenty of free programs to meet your needs. If you have an older computer, you may not even be able to buy the software you need, but chances are good you can find free programs.
GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is free software for photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.
OpenOffice is a free office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It works on most systems, and can read files from other common office programs. Although their site claims that data is saved in a standard format, you will need to make sure to choose the correct options, as some programs cannot read the OpenOffice format. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose
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