It used to be that if you wanted quality software you had to pay for it. Not so anymore. There are now dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of free software programs that rival their paid counterparts. Here are some of my favorites.

Microsoft Office ($120 to $500)
LibreOffice - This free productivity suite contains a word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation software and much more. Even better, it can open your Microsoft Office documents and save them in Office formats. Find out why I recommend LibreOffice over OpenOffice.

Microsoft Publisher ($140)
Scribus - This is a great free tool for creating brochures, magazines and newsletters – and just about any other print publications. It contains all the features you need to turn your ideas into published reality.

Microsoft Outlook ($110)
Thunderbird - This powerful, lightweight email program makes creating and organizing email a snap. Use the Lightning extension to add a powerful calendar feature.