Software, especially mainstream graphics and web development software can get expensive in a hurry as the ladies in the Switchboards forums were discussing a couple of days ago. Web building software like Dreamweaver is currently priced at around $400. Photoshop CS, just the standalone program is priced at $649 and if you decide to get the entire Creative Suite, it will set you back about $1,1990. If you’re planning on building and maintaining your own web site from scratch, you’ll need at minimum a graphics program and a web building program. So how do you get what you need without breaking the bank? Fortunately the discussion yielded some great money-saving tips.

  1. Get only what you need- Unless you’re doing a lot of print design or graphics work outside of your artwork, getting the entire Adobe Creative Suite is just overkill. Unless you know that you will be using all or most of the components of a software suite and will be using them often, getting the bundle may be a big waste of money. Also, if you’re only planning on editing and updating photographic images to your web site and will leave the actual graphic design to someone else, you can probably get away with using a inexpensive photo editor like Photoshop Elements.
  2. Find alternatives- There’s no law that says that you must use Photoshop for creating and editing graphics. Consider getting lower priced alternatives such as Fireworks or CorelDraw. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous consider trying out GIMP. GIMP is a free open-source photo editing software which has many of the same features as Photoshop.
  3. Shop around- You’re almost guaranteed to pay full price if you buy the software directly from the software company. So if you’re looking to buy, it pays to shop around. Many software distributors sell software online, so if you search for software, you may be able to find some fairly decent deals.
  4. Scout out Ebay- Some of the same software distributors also have storefronts on Ebay and they often auction off recent versions of software for much less than the listed price. Scour the listings on Ebay and you may be able to find very good deals. Several forum members mentioned that they were able to buy software like Dreamweaver for anywhere from $100 to $150. If you go this route, be sure to go with a vendor that has great feedback ratings.
  5. Check out Craigslist- It can pay to check out the listings on Craigslist. One of my colleagues managed to get an older version of the Adobe Creative Suite for almost 50% off the original price from a graphic designer who was selling their computer and software.
  6. Downgrade to an older version- Psst! Hey! Want to know a secret? I’m using Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, and Dreamweaver MX. I’m not using the latest and greatest and guess what? They work just fine! It’s not always necessary to have the newest version of any software. If you can snag a slightly older version of a popular software, you’ll often find that they work for you just fine and they’re cheaper than the newest version. You can find older or used software on Ebay and Craigslist. Amazon also has vendors in the Amazon Marketplace selling older or used software.
  7. Investigate educational discounts- If you are a student, teacher, or a member of school faculty, you can be eligible for an educational discount. The amount of the discount can vary with each software manufacturer, so take the time to research these.

Got any other money-saving tips I may have missed? Leave me a comment and tell me about them!