I vividly remember the days of deciding whether it was worth the $350 to buy Microsoft Office or if you could live without it. Since it’s no longer 2003, it rarely makes sense to drop the big bucks on it when you can get Microsoft Office for free in many cases. This is especially true if you’re a student or teacher, or willing to use Office on the web or your tablet. Here are the four best ways to get free Microsoft Office in 2020 plus some great alternatives if you don’t want to use their software.

Use Office Online in a Browser…It’s Free

Maybe you’re not a heavy Microsoft Office user but do need it occasionally.

If this is you, don’t pay for it!

Instead simply use Microsoft Office Online and get free access to almost the entire suite of Office products.

It even comes with 5GB of cloud space via Microsoft OneDrive so you can save all your files and access them on different devices.

This feature makes for easy collaboration with coworkers or fellow students.

So you’re probably thinking “Free huh? What’s the catch?”

Well, there are some features that you DON’T get with Office Online that might make it a deal breaker.

Here are the 3 biggest things you don’t get:

1 – No Microsoft Access – Access is a database management application. I’m guessing if you need this app you’re not looking at using Office Online anyways.

2 – Stripped Down Features – While the average user probably won’t notice, Office Online is lacking some of the advanced features.

3 – You NEED an Internet Connection – If you are traveling or are without an internet connection, you’re out of luck as you can’t access or edit files.

Download Office for Free if You’re a Student or Teacher

If you’re a student or teacher, you can take advantage of Office 365 for free.

Just enter your school email address (.edu) and they’ll walk you through the process of getting your Microsoft office free download to your laptop or desktop computer.

You’ll get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams.

If you want full access to all the Office desktop apps (like Publisher and Access) you’ll have to pay a reasonable $2.50/month.

See Also: 50+ Places Where Students Get a Sweet Student Discount

Use Free Office “Mobile Apps”

I recently was amazed to discover that Microsoft has made all of their Office 365 apps completely free to download and use.

As long as you have a Microsoft account you can create, edit, save, and share your documents via your smartphone or tablet using these free apps.

The apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, and Teams.

Bonus TIP: They also have the Office app which very few people know about that is also FREE and helps you “find all your Office apps and files in one place so you can jump quickly into your work.”

The coolest thing about the app is it can be used with all free web-based versions of Office, NO subscription required.

Take Advantage of a 30-Day Free Trial

A 30-day trail to Office 365 is a pretty legit trial length, especially compared to other services that tend to go with a 7 or 15 day trial period.

Keep in mind that Microsoft will ask for your credit card information and charge you $99.99 annually if you don’t cancel before your 30 days is up.

The biggest advantage of using the free trial, instead of the online version, is you will have full document editing capabilities when your offline.

You will also have full access to ALL of the features of Office so you can make an informed decision if it’s right for you.

You can even share your free trial with up to 5 people so they can give it a whirl too.

Still not sure after 30 days? I’ve been told you can get an additional free 30-day trial by using a different Microsoft account or credit card.

See Also: How to Get a Free Trial Extension to Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu

3 Free Alternatives to MS Office

If you’re adverse to Microsoft products for any reason, here are three alternatives to Office that are completely free and quite popular.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a direct competitor of Microsoft Word online and in many cases is much more popular as some schools have gone to using Google Suite for their virtual classroom.

Google Docs is also free to use, you just need a Google account, and lets you quickly convert Word files to Google Docs and vice versa.

WPS Office

WPS Office is a free and complete office suite designed to compete directly with Microsoft.

It is compatible with both Microsoft Office and Google Docs.

It also comes with a PDF editor which makes it compatible with Adobe PDF.

Apache OpenOffice

OpenOffice is another popular free productivity suite that is open source software.

The great thing about it being “open source” is anybody can report bugs and request new features to make it even better. Worth a look.

Ask the Reader: Have you used any of these free alternatives to Office? If so, which one is the best?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to MIKI Yoshihito.

The great thing about Costco is you never know what you’re going to find once you step inside. From seasonal items to stuff you had no idea existed but clearly CANNOT live without, Costco sells some really interesting stuff. In the past I’ve talked about some of the bizarre things people have tried to return to Costco, but I’ve never broken down the oddest things they sell…until now! Here are 16 of the strangest things that Costco currently sells…

Bear Spray

Many Costco locations, especially those in “bear country”, have been selling bear spray for quite some time.

But unfortunately there have been some complaints about the canisters not actually spraying when fired.

So just make sure you’re NOT the slowest person in your group when hiking and you should be fine.

Edible Brownie Batter

If I had a bowl of Edible Brownie Dough in front me right now, not only would I devour the whole thing, but I’d probably lick the bowl clean.

Costco sells this heavenly goodness which is made by Eat Pastry and is 100% vegan.

This means you can eat it raw OR bake it up.

You can even nuke it in the microwave and enjoy some gooey goodness.

See Also: 7 Ways to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

Coffins & Urns

Yes, you read that correctly. This is perhaps the strangest thing sold by Costco.

Now before you ask, NO, you don’t walk into Costco and buy a casket or urn.

Instead, you visit their website here and do your “forever” shopping online.

Now I’ve never shopped for a casket before, but I’ve been told that Costco sells some very high quality ones and the price is much lower than most funeral homes.

By federal law funeral homes are required to “accept any casket purchased from an outside source.”

Also, and I’m not making this up, the Costco website states that “Acts of God” can potentially delay your delivery date.

Caviar

When you think Costco do you think caviar?

Not me.

But Costco has been known to appeal to all demographics so I guess it doesn’t come as a complete surprise that they sell expensive fish eggs.

At $45 bucks an ounce it’s pricey but I’m guessing it’s a good value if you MUST HAVE caviar at your next soiree.

Smart Toilets

There’s nothing worst than a dumb crapper, so I was stoked to see Costco finally sells smart toilets.

This thing will change your world.

It’s got an LED night light, a heated seat, and a bidet feature that will make you clean as a whistle.

Don’t even get me started on the heating and drying feature…”WOW” is all I gotta say. 

Mortgages

The other day I walked into Costco and came out with 2 gallons of milk, 8 pairs of socks, a 50 lb pound bag of Scott’s lawn fertilizer, and a 30-year fixed mortgage.

This is actually possible these days as Costco has been dealing in home mortgages for quite some time.

They tout that Costco members can save $7,300 on average over the life of the loan.

NOTE: As of May 2022, Costco stopped offering mortgages to their members.

72 lb. Wheel of Cheese

This amazing Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel is imported from Italy and weighs-in at an astonishing 72 pounds.

It’s basically like ordering a large golden retriever made entirely of cheese.

If you own a restaurant this could be on your wish list, but for everybody else that buys it I’d like to study you and report my findings to the government.

See Also: 7 Genius Costco Bakery Hacks That Will Save You Money and Time

Dried Sea Cucumbers

Who doesn’t like to pop a couple Dried Sea Cucumbers in their mouth as an afternoon snack.

The next time you’re at Costco go ahead and grab a bag and give them a try.

I actually have no idea if you pop them in your mouth or they require some cooking to make them edible.

But in either case, I’ll probably stay away.

Bottled Water Delivery

The big 3…Sparkletts, Arrowhead, Costco.

They even have a website set up called CostcoWater.com that let’s you set up your account and start your order.

The pricing of delivered water starts at $6.49 per 5 gallon bottle and is actually facilitated thru Alhambra.

Wheelchairs

The biggest takeaway on Costco selling wheelchairs is they are a great value.

You’re going to pay 20-30% less buying from Costco compared to local health and rehab stores in your area.

Online ONLY item.

A HUGE Teddy Bear

Any interest in a 93″ Teddy Bear for your home or kid’s room?

Costco is the place if you do.

Product description says “For ages 3+”….what, do they think it might be too much bear for a 2-year old? C’mon.

I’m just glad it’s not anatomically correct.

Pallet of Food for “Preppers”

Wow, all I gotta say is wow.

Costco has approximated that this is enough chow for 4 people for 1 year.

This pallet of food comes with a 25-year shelf life and all you have to do is add water and cook.

Coming in at over 13,000 total servings, I hope it’s somewhat tasty.

I’m guessing if you’re buying this, the only other thing you might buy off this list is the bear spray.

Online only item.

See Also: Costco Savings Secrets Straight From Their CEO

Wine Tap Station

Coming in at $5,000, this wine preservation system from Costco is by far the most expensive product on my list.

For the price at least it comes with a 2-pack of Argon gas…so you got that going for ya.

Now don’t get me wrong, it looks pretty cool, but the price tag seems a bit excessive.

Online only item.

See Also: Costco Liquor: 4 Things You Gotta Know Before You Buy

Custom Closets

The OCD part of my brain wants to call Costco immediately and get a free consult on putting in new custom closets at my house.

But I’m sure it’s way more than I can afford, but it’s good to know that Costco provides this service.

The picture of that closet is killing me though…

Wedding Invites

Wedding invitations sold by Costco is actually part of their Photo Center which makes sense.

The days of paying $3-4 per wedding invite is over as the deals at Costco look great.

Go check them out the next time you need invitations for ANY special event.

See Also: 11 Costco Photo Center Hacks You MUST Know

Chicken Coop

As of this writing, the selection of chicken coops on Costco.com is a bit slim, but come early Spring it will be hopping.

The prices are really good too, typically way lower than your local feed store or Tractor Supply Company.

Ask the Reader: What’s the strangest item you’ve ever bought from Costco? Don’t be shy…let me know in the comments!

By Kyle James

If you stumbled onto this article you’re probably wondering where are all of the check cashing places near me? I went out and found 11 places that’ll happily cash your personal or business check. Some will charge you a fee and some won’t, but it’s guaranteed they’ll require a valid photo I.D. to make it happen. Whether it’s a personal check, a government check, or one from your employer, you stand a great chance of getting your check cashed today with these resources.

Scenarios When You Might Need a Check Cashed…

– No Bank Account – The most likely scenario when you need to get a check cashed is the lack of a bank account.

Maybe you’re a student and haven’t set up a bank account yet, or maybe you’ve just moved to a new area and haven’t set up an account with a local bank yet.

– Your Away From Your Bank – Another time when you need to cash a check is when you’re out-of-town and your bank doesn’t offer mobile deposits via a smartphone app.

In any case, here are 11 ways to get a check cashed when you’re in a pinch.

Walmart

Your local Walmart is a good place to start when needing to cash a check near you.

Just visit the Walmart Customer Service desk or Money Center (if available) and they can help you out.

They’ll cash personal, payroll, government, insurance settlement, 401(k), MoneyGram money orders, tax, and cashier’s check to name a few.

For checks up to $1,000 you’ll be hit with a $4 fee, anything over a $1,000 (up to $5,000) you’ll pay up to $8.

For 2-party checks you’ll pay a $6 fee and checks can’t be over $200 in value.

See Also: A Clever “Online” Hack to Save Big on Stamps at Walmart

The Bank on the Actual Check

If the issuing bank of the check has a local branch, you can visit it to get the check cashed.

They’ll be able to verify that the account has sufficient funds and most will cash the check for a small fee.

Some banks will actually call the owner of the check to verify that no fraud is taking place which is a good security measure.

Gas Stations

Many gas stations, especially those attached to a grocery store chain, will cash checks.

Others like Citgo, Chevron, Pilot Flying J, and Love’s will also cash checks for a fee.

Ask the next time you’re filling up your tank so you’ll know where to go when you have a check that needs to be cashed.

Grocery Stores

A few national grocery stores that cash checks include Kroger, Publix, Giant Eagle, Safeway/Albertsons, Winco, Ralphs, Hy-Vee, H-E-B, and Fred Meyer.

The fees vary by location but usually average between $3 – $6 depending on the amount of the check.

If you don’t have a bank account, your grocery store makes for an excellent spot to get your next check cashed.

7-Eleven

Grab a Slurpee and get a check cashed the next time you visit your local 7-Eleven.

They do it via their in-house Transact card which is essentially a prepaid MasterCard that you can cash checks onto.

Once you sign-up and get your card, you can use your smartphone to deposit checks via their Mobile Check Load feature.

See Also: Need Quarters Fast? 8 Places That Can Help

Check Cashing Stores

Stores like Check Into Cash and Ace Cash Express are national spots that you can walk into and get your check cashed for a fee.

They’ll even put some, or all, of your money on a Prepaid Visa Card so you don’t have to carry around a large amount of cash if you wish.

Use a “Check Cashing” App

– Ingo Money – Ingo is popular cash checking app that makes it easy to cash payroll checks for a 2-5% fee.

Just sign-up and link a bank account, PayPal account, or prepaid card then you can take a picture of your check with your smartphone and cash it.

– Boost Mobile Wallet – Sign-up and start depositing your paycheck, government benefits and/or tax refund and start “Mobile Check Deposit” today.

If you want the money immediately you’ll be hit by a 2-5% fee, otherwise it’s free.

– Brink’s Money Prepaid – Apply for their prepaid MasterCard and start depositing checks via their easy-to-use mobile app.

PayPal

If you have a PayPal account you can use the PayPal “Cash a Check” service via their app to cash your next check.

You just snap a picture of your check and verify the amount of the check.

If you can wait 10 days you WON’T have to pay a fee, otherwise you’ll pay a fee and the money will be made immediately.

The fee will be 1% for payroll and government checks, and 5% for all other accepted checks.

Your Bank

The most obvious place to get a check cashed is at your bank.

If you have an account with a bank in your town, you can usually cash a check for free.

Don’t endorse it until you’re at the bank in case you lose it.

Also, make sure you bring your photo I.D. or debit card to make it happen quickly.

See Also: 11 Best Places to Get Money Orders Near Me (With Prices Too)

Your Employer

If you work at a grocery store or store that handles cash, in many cases they can cash your paycheck immediately.

I had a friend when I was in high school who worked at a grocery store who would immediately cash his check at the checkout register right after he got paid every 2 weeks.

No fees.

Pretty easy way to get cash in your pocket without ever having to visit a bank or check cashing store.

Use Your Friends

A solid last option is to sign your check over to a friend who can then take it to their bank to deposit it.

On the back of the check write “Pay to the Order of FRIEND’S FULL NAME”.

Then sign it and collect your cash from them.

In most cases, your friend’s bank will accept this third party check just fine but some may require you to visit the bank with your friend and fill out a form as a fraud prevention measure.

Surprising Places That Don’t Cash Checks…

Warehouse Clubs – To my surprise, Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale will not cash personal or business checks.

It just seems like a service they would offer their members but as of this writing, they do not.

Target – I was a bit surprised to learn Target will not cash any checks in-store.

Trader Joe’s – You can buy “2 buck chuck” until your heart’s content, but you cannot cash a check.

Whole Foods – With a nickname like “Whole Paycheck” you’d think they would let you cash a check, but alas they will not.

ALDI – The discount grocery store known as ALDI will not cash checks either.

Ask the Reader: What check cashing places near you did I miss? Let me know in the comments and I’ll definitely investigate.

By Kyle James