Thursday, December 17, 2020
Stay up-to-date with Microsoft's best features.
Got some writing to do? Working on your advanced spreadsheet skills? Time to invest in Microsoft 365! Since Microsoft converted the Office suite to a subscription service, it has gotten noticeably more expensive to stay invested in. We know you love the programs but hate spending money, so we're collecting all the best places you can find it at its lowest prices. There are several options available and several ways to save, and we'll definitely update this post with any new ones we find. Not sure whether it's worth investing in? We've considered it a bargain for a long time now, and the beauty of the subscription service is it means Microsoft is constantly updating the programs with new security features, time-management features, and more.
Best Microsoft 365 Personal Deal $58.99
The Personal version is the lowest tier in the Microsoft 365 lineup. It is limited in that you can only use it for one person, but it's still a 12-month subscription with access to all the big programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote, and Outlook. Use it wherever you want, too, including on PC or Mac, and iOS or Android mobile devices. If you aren't sure you want to make a long-term commitment, this is the way to go because you can always upgrade to Home later if you want.
One Person
Microsoft 365 Personal
Microsoft normally charges $70 a year for Personal. It's going for that price in most places including other retailers like Newegg. We've seen it drop as low as $50 in the past, but Amazon is the only store with a deal of any kind running at the moment.
$58.99 $70 $11 off
Best Microsoft 365 Family Deal $10 off + 3 months free
Much like Personal, you get access to all the major programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. You'll get 1TB of storage through Microsoft OneDrive, regular updates to all the mentioned programs as long as your subscription is live, and more. You can use Microsoft 365 on your PC, your Mac, your iOS or Android phone, tablets, and a bunch of other places. The difference from Personal is Family can be used by up to six people.
Up to 6 People
Microsoft 365 Family
The normal price for one year of Family is $99.99 through Microsoft, and you'll find it going for that price at most retailers like Newegg and Best Buy. While we have seen it drop as low as $80 in the past, that deal isn't around these days. Right now the best way to save is this deal on Costco where you can get 15 months of the service for $89.99. That's three extra months and $10 off the regular price. If you aren't a Costco member, Amazon has a similar bundle at the regular $100 price so you're essentially just getting three months free there.
$89.99 $140 $50 off
Best Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 Deal $124.99
Too many subscriptions in your life? Not a fan of mysteriously losing that money every year? I don't blame you. Microsoft doesn't either. That's why the Home and Student 2019 version exists. It's a one-time purchase that gives you access to the 2019 versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This purchase works on one device, either a PC or a Mac. You'll also get 60 days of Microsoft support for free. This is the way buying Office used to be, but remember that you'll have to pay again if you want updates to your programs. Read more about whether you should choose this version or the subscription service.
No Subscription
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019
Home and Student 2019 is on sale at Amazon, and while it's not the best price we've ever seen (was $99 for Black Friday), it's still a way better deal than you'll find elsewhere. At Microsoft, this purchase normally goes for $150. You can also get this deal at Costco.
$124.99 $150 $25 off
How to get the Best Microsoft 365 Deals
Obviously, Amazon is the single best place to save right now. No one more consistently beats Microsoft's prices for the suite. Another option is to keep a lookout for bundle deals, which we have seen quite often. We have seen Amazon offer a deal that combined Microsoft 365 Family and a $50 gift card for $100 total, which basically made the $50 gift card a free bonus. Newegg once bundled an Xbox Live Gold subscription with Microsoft 365 Personal for $80, although we haven't seen that combo in a while now.
Microsoft regularly discounts Microsoft 365 through the purchase of a PC, Mac, or even iPad at some retailers. At Best Buy right now, you can get $20 off with a qualifying device. Amazon has a similar deal that's not quite as widely available, but you can see it at the top of some product pages.
If you are a student or a teacher, Microsoft has a program that gives Microsoft 365 out for free. Check out this page and use your official school email to see if you qualify.
Did you know Microsoft 365 works on Apple products? Put your subscription to work on a brand new iPad.
12 Essential PC Accessories Under $30
Sometimes the best accessories are also the cheapest ones. Having a great PC experience doesn't just hinge on spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on the most expensive equipment there is. Sometimes, spending just $30 or less is more than enough, and we love affordable accessories. Here are our top picks.
Read the full article
Brilliant mouse: KLIM Aim RGB gaming mouse
Staff favoriteWhether you're a gamer or not, this is an absurdly good mouse at an astonishing price. It's ambidextrous, has a super responsive sensor, a tough braided cable, tank-like build quality, and a five-year warranty. And yes, it has RGB lighting, but you can turn it off if you're in the office and want to be a little more discreet!
Neat and Tidy: Ikea Fixa Cable Management System
Staff favoriteThis IKEA cable management kit is your ticket to a clean gaming setup. With adhesive, nails, and velcro, it's ideal for wrangling that spiders web of cabling under your desk. A tidy setup is a happy setup.
Power up: Belkin 12 outlet surge protector
Without power there is no PC, no monitors, nothing. It's important to take good care of your equipment though, and you should always hook up your PC to a surge protector. This one from Belkin has 12-outlets, an 8-foot cord and perhaps, more importantly, the piece of mind offered by a lifetime warranty and a $300,000 connected equipment warranty.
Pucking marvellous: NZXT Puck
This clever little accessory has powerful magnets on the rear to make it stick to any of the metal panels on your PC case. From there you can not only hang your favorite gaming headset or even a VR headset from it, but also wind the cables out of sight. Genius!
Be heard: Samson Go Mic
This might look like a tiny microphone, and it is, but it produces big sound quality. Samson makes excellent USB microphones and the Go Mic is perfect to use with a laptop, or if you just want a cheap, portable solution for voice chats and a spot of on-the-go recording. The build quality is first-rate, it's driver-free, and has switchable pickup patterns for different situations.
Blowing cobwebs: Dust Off compressed air
Dust is not your PCs friend, so you should always keep some compressed air on hand to blow out the cobwebs. It'll get into all the places your fingers can't, and help you keep your PC not only looking fresh, but breathing easy. It's also super handy to get those crumbs out of your keyboard. Yeah, we know about those.
Bungee time: Razer mouse bungee
If you use a wired mouse you should really use a mouse bungee to keep your cable tidy and free from snagging on your desk or anything on your desk. You get no drag on the cable, and this one has subtle styling, a rust-resistant spring and a weighted base to stop it sliding around.
Expanding ports: Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hub
Whether on a desktop or laptop PC, you always need more ports to connect things to. This hub gives you an additional four USB 3.0 Type A ports to use on your PC without the need for an external power source. It's small enough to drop in your laptop bag, too, to use whenever, wherever.
Pump it up: AmazonBasics USB speakers
These neat little speakers may only pack 2.4W of total power, but don't let that fool you. For something so small you get a well-rounded sound and a stylish design. Better yet, they're powered entirely over USB, and with an additional inline volume control they couldn't be easier to use.
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