Well, it is freezing in my office and I am set to give my first final exam at noon today. And what, you ask yourself, does this have to do with cool deals and free software? Nothing, except that I want you to be impressed I actually posted something as my fingers are freezing off as I type this and I am worried about my students coming on time to their exam. Though I shouldn’t complain about cold as my poor friends in the Northeast are literally way below freezing.

So on to the actually heart of this post. Lifehacker has come to the rescue again for all of us who are trying to save and still need to buy gifts for this holiday season. Check out this awesome article on finding the best deals online. Definitely a little holiday gift from Lifehacker.

Here is another, slightly older, Lifehacker post on the free software we are most thankful for. And no, this isn’t about illegal software–it’s about great open source, free software. I have to say I am super-thankful for Gmail, VLC media player, Audacity, and Open Office. These rock and make my computing life so much simpler and more rewarding. Plus, I feel less like throwing my CPU through the window into the courtyard because I can use these programs (that don’t crash my computer!). So what software are you most thankful for? Yes, I know Thanksgiving is over, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop remembering what we are thankful for.

Check out the above articles and I promise something in them will help you and make the holidays and work a little less stressful.