Making and Saving Money with a Computer

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I really do recommend that people sign up to get regular emails from the Money Savings Expert at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/money-tips-email-faqs

You have quite a lot of protection whilst buying on line under the Distance Selling Regulations . See www.oft.gov.uk  Don't be too put off by the scary stories of web scams but be careful.  For instance, click on the gold padlock on supposedly secure web pages.  If it doesn't give details it is just a fake icon - nothing more !

Be aware of the Duty regulations if you are importing things from outside the EU and the VAT regulations even within it. Duty and VAT are only charged if the total cost to you is over £18. If you are getting the goods as a gift this is raised to £36. Duty is charged at a (varying) percentage of the total cost to you but will not be collected if it amounts to less than £7.

If you have problems with purchases there are a number of other sites to help :

www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk
www.scotcourts.gov.uk
www.courtsni.gov.uk
www.courts.ie
www.legalservices.gov.uk
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
www.moneyclaim.gov.uk
www.ispa.org.uk
www.otelo.org.uk
www.arbitrators.org/cisas
www.consumercomplaints.org.uk

Friday Ad Newsfeed http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/Class/120/ParentClass/5007/Category/7/Name/Computers/Web/rssFeeds.rss

SAVING MONEY ON COMPUTER and other PURCHASES

I always put a few words about an item such as External Hard Disk into a Google Search (for the UK) and see where it leads. Often it is to "comparison" sites such as www.pricerunner.co.uk, where the cheapest prices can be found.  It sometimes leads to sites such as Amazon, which is not just for books.  But it also might lead to auction sites such as Ebay.  There is even a site which shows very cheap items which are in their last few minutes of an auction such as http://www.lastminute-auction.com/uk/. Believe me, pounds can be save by searching around.

To see my page on Computer Fairs  : Click here

Previous Bargains of the week (may no longer be current) included :

Buying a PC

The first thing to ask yourself is "What am I expecting to do with the PC?"    If you are an avid games player and hope to run the latest 3D programs with sound to match then you will need the fastest machine you can get.  And this doesn't just mean the processor, but also the cards which run the video (monitor) and sound as well.  If you just want to write letters and send emails (and search the 'net') you can manage with something that was manufactured ten years ago, though I wouldn't advise it.

First off, that hoary old question, should I buy one ready made or build one myself ?  Building your own PC is not out of the question for the DIY enthusiast, even if they do not have any knowledge of electronics.  Many of the parts fit together like Lego.  I am always amazed that pieces of computers made all over the world, in China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the United States etc all do fit together.  Even the screw holes are in the right places ! This is not just luck but as a result of the power of the original IBM PC.  If you didn't make your part to fit that standard you closed off to a multi million market.  And this has gone on to this day, throughout all its developments. The same goes for the software. There are also mysterious Expert Groups working away to try to lay down rules of standardisation, which are to everyone's advantage.  The EG in JPEG, MPEG etc stand for these Expert Groups. Unfortunately they do not seem to have affected the DVD manufacturers and, particularly the manufacturers of 'card' memory used in cameras

So, Ready Built or DIY ?  The cost of ready built machines, even new ones, is now so low that I defy anyone to build their own and save money.  When you add the cost of the monitor, case, motherboard, sound card, graphics card, hard disk, memory, keyboard, modem, speakers, mouse, postage etc and add to that the cost of the main processor you would be very lucky to be able to build it cheaper.  Add to that the cost of the Operating System (Windows) and I can think of only one good reason to build your own and that is for the satisfaction of doing so (and telling people !). But, if it doesn't work, you can't take it back !  If you go to computer fairs these days you can pick up a good modern (second hand) system complete for around £250 with 3 months 'warranty'.  Brand new,  with 19" monitoflat screen, fast chip, big hard disk, XP or Vista and all the rest we are talking around £400 (either desktop or laptop). The  software  alone (Vista, XP, Works and Word) would have cost that. In fact, I recently worked out that if you add up all the extras supplied with a basic Dell the actual unit costs MINUS £16 ! So BUY, don't BUILD

For price comparisons on many items look at www.pricerunner.co.uk or www.kelkoo.co.uk or Uswitch

If you are keen to upgrade have a look at site such as www.ebuyer.co.uk  Put the items in 'Cost order' to see the cheapest. Beware that some of these items might not work with an old machine and it is essential to look at the 'specification' of what they require in the way of computer speed, memory, hard disk space and which Windows. Often it can be something like 'Minimum 400Mhz (chip), 32Mb memory, 16Mb hard disk space and Windows 98SE'. So beware.

Memory
Because of mass production newer memory is often cheaper than the older type (another reason not to hang on to an old machine) But you must check that you have the right type for your PC. (www.crucial.com) The latest memory won't (physically) fit into old machines. How much memory do you need?  Windows XP demands a minimum of 128Mb.  Older Windows would (incredibly) work with 8Mb. Cheaper new (XP) machines are still being sold with 128Mb.  Should you get more?  Although I doubt if you will notice the difference it might be a good idea to get 256Mb or, as it is cheap, go for 512Mb.  Beyond that you will definitely not notice a difference unless, as some have found, the PC stops working completely !

Printers
You can get a good printer/scanner for £40 these days. It may cost you £50 the first time the ink runs out (after a month) but that is a fact.  Investigate running costs carefully.  e.g. Canon iP Pixma 1000 and 1500 were very cheap to run.  So what happens ?  They change to the 1600 and you can no longer get clone cartridges and the originals cost a bomb.

If you only expect to print (lots of) black correspondence go for a cheap laser printer for around £50 (Samsung).

Ink
The hoary old question.  Should you buy 'clone' cartridges ?  Many printer companies don't allow such a thing and refills are the only alternative to new ones. The ink business is scandalous.  How they can sell you a plastic box with a little coloured water for £25, I don't know.  But, if they are selling printers for £30, I suppose they have to make their money up somehow. Just don't get caught. But it is difficult to find a new printer these days that is not onto that scam, so you may have no alternative. For ink I have often used www.choicestationery.co.uk and found them reliable and reasonable. If you use HP or Lexmark cartridges some companies will give you something off your empties, providing you haven't already refilled them.

Cheaper original HP cartridges www.phoenixdirect.co.uk or w2w.com (around a fiver off shop prices and free delivery and massive savings on clone cartridges)  Get 'em now before Epson takes every importer to court - oh yes, they are ! Or just try Ebay for immediate buys.

Even cheaper ink (69p for Canon) and blank CDs and DVD hsttp://www.ukdvdr.co.uk/shop/home.php

Batteries. Cameras, wireless mice and keyboards, MP3 players.  They all eat batteries. You need to get rechargeables with as high a mHh rating as possible. AAs should be at least 2000 mHa. Good prices, post paid from http://www.gadgetbatteries.co.uk/

Cables and Consumables This is where the big stores make some money. £15 for a USB cable that would cost a fifth of that at a fair or some cheap shops.  £30 a hundred for CDR's which would cost £10 via the net. Shop around.

Software
My favourite graphics manipulation program (Micrografx Picture Publisher) came off a magazine cover disk. Instead of paying nearly £500 for Microsoft Office Suite you can get Open Office for nothing.  If you must have Word you can probably get by with an older one for a tenner off Ebay or, if you are a student (even if you take an evening art class), teacher or parent, Microsoft sells its popular suite for much less to you. So look (and ask) around. For free Downloads see www.computeractive/downloads  and Here There is no way round paying for Windows - unless it comes with your machine but even for that prices vary a lot.  Linux, a different Operating System is free.  But my policy has always been 'stick with the mainstream'.  In the end it is less trouble.

DVD players,  CD or DVD Writers ?
It all depends on what you want to do.  I recommend a CDwriter at this time.  DVD writers (also write CDs)?   Prices have fallen dramatically and most new machines include them. Some are 'Dual Layer', which will write 9Gb on a dual layer disk.

Monitors ?
15" is adequate but 17" is nicer if you have room.  TFT (flat) screens have come down a lot especially with new machines.  Nice if you are cramped for space. You can now get a 19" widescreen for around £100 (June 07). If you get a 15" it is equivalent to almost 17" of the big ones.  Screen prices vary quite a lot and, to some extent 'getting what you pay for' applies here. Most have lengthy on-site warranties these days so they must be pretty reliable. At a computer fair the going rate for a 15" monitor is around £20.  17" is more like £35 - £40.   

Warranties
I never go for the extra warranty the commission-fired salesman offers me.  Rarely good value.  But, if you are housebound and are not into DIY computer fixing you may be wise to pay the fee.  It is, once again, a question of what suits the individual.

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Make Money from the net ?  

Who are you kidding ?  Well, I hear that thousands are giving up their full time jobs to buy and sell over the auctions site like www.ebay.co.uk. It is not difficult or especially fraught, despite the stories you hear.  If you give anyone a rotten deal on Ebay you can be sure you will get a blazing report from your customer(s). One of the problems is delivery, especially of the larger items. So, unless you are near to a large conurbations (London?) you might be better to stick to more easily posted items. Another problem is the skill of today's participants, who regularly wait until the last second to outbid you for something.  There is even last minute bidding software but, as someone said, if everyone gets automatic last minute bidding software and they compete you might finish up paying £50 for a Barbie Doll.

The latest craze on E-bay is called 'flipping'.  This where people buy and item which is 'all the rage' and sell it for much more. This can apply to concert tickets, art, fashion, even carrier bags ! For those people who are avid collectors or who 'need' to have the latest 'must have' item it seems that price is no object.

I am often amazed at the stuff that is being left at the local tip. A lot of it is to do with people's brief encounter with the world of exercise.  Tons of hardly used equipment, from rowing machines to weightlifting items and then there are all those golf clubs. Either people have gone for the latest name or have given up the game altogether.  But surely someone, somewhere, has just started to get the urge (however brief) and wants that stuff. Another great source is the ubiquitous Boot Sale. If you have an eye for a collector's item, from old camera equipment to Art Deco pottery, collectable toys or 78s there is a market out there.

If you don't want to get mercenary about all this but care about the landfill problem in this throw away society you might be interested in joining www.freecycle.org which has branches all over the world. The first offer I got was for horse manure.... "bring your own wellies"!

Any other way to make a bit of cash ?  I joined various sites such as Ask Jeeves and Amazon as an affiliate but have never received a penny.  Google adverts (Adsense) are a different matter though, and they really do pay if people click on their ads. See those on this site. But to make much headway there you have to have a website and one which will attract a lot of interest.  This site receives between 500 and 1000 'page clicks' a day - it gets higher in the winter months.  From that number, 2 - 5% click on an advert. The amount paid per click depends on the advertiser but I would be disappointed if my average was less than $12 a day, making about £150+ a month to swell my pension.  So, if you can work up a popular site, who knows ? Take a look at www.adsense.com.

Market Research.  Some organisations will pay you for answering question about products. Take a look at www.sarosresearch.com

And the net is remarkable for its worldwide spread. There is no way I could have sold 800 books on computing without it. Books have gone to the 'far corners'. And payment is easy via things like Paypal, which enables people to pay by card and enables YOU to transfer payments to and from your own bank.  To set up an account just go to www.paypal.com.

You may be able to sell a skill over the net.  After all, it doesn't matter where you are if you can transmit and receive your work over the net. This is particularly apt for people who do programming, design work, create websites or do accounting. But the list is endless.

So, how about it ?  Become a home worker. That is the trend. There is no ageism and you do not have to be physically fit as long as you can work one of these wonderful machines.

Another site which might help : http://www.income-in-laterlife.com Practical Internet and 'real world' ideas to help people in laterlife supplement their income. New

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