Slash your computing costs

Hardware costs
It may sound obvious, but you should only upgrade hardware when it’s absolutely necessary. If a purchase can’t be avoided, then shop around. Use comparison sites such as PCW’s Best Prices, Kelkoo, Price Runner or Shopping.com to find the cheapest option.

No price comparison site covers the entire market, however, so use several. Also check out Ebay for new and second-hand goods. If you do so, always check the small print to ensure you know what you’re paying for and be wary of common tricks like including most of the purchase price in the postage cost.

If you’re shopping on the high street, look for deals on shop-soiled or refurbished goods, or check out online retailers’ surplus or B-grade stock listings. These are often available at bargain prices.

If you do end up replacing your system, consider what to do with the old kit. In many cases, it can be pressed into service in place of a common peripheral, like a network-attached storage (Nas) drive, or it could be revived by installing a cut-down operating system. See the end of this feature for ways to re-use older hardware.

Photo printing
Home photo printing can end up quite expensive when you factor in photo paper, inks and the cost of printing mistakes. For the good of your wallet and that of the environment, it’s best to avoid printing where possible. There are plenty of ways to share photos without producing a hard copy.

Newer TVs and DVD players often include a Secure Digital or other Flash media slot, which enable you to display photos as a slideshow on the telly. You could also show off your pictures in a digital photo frame or simply on a laptop placed on a table.

Also consider the many possibilities for sharing photos online ­ from resizing them and sending via email to using services such as Picasa Web Albums, Flickr or Photobox to upload photos and share them for free.