Free Extra 10GB of Storage on Google Drive

Google is currently offering an extra 10GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years for anyone that downloads the Quickoffice app. Quickoffice is a free app available for both Android and iOS (iPhone) phones. The app will allow you to open files anywhere.

While we’re on the topic of free stuff, if you sign in to your Google Account from the new Quickoffice app for Android or iOS by September 26, 2013, an extra 10GB of Google Drive storage will be added to your account for two years (look for it in the next few weeks). So don’t let your hardware or software differences get in the way of true collaboration -- download the new app and start working together today. (Source: Official Google Drive Blog)

Bonus Free Storage for .Edu Emails on Dropbox

If you're a student that uses Dropbox, enter the Space Race now. The more people that register with your school's .edu address, the more storage you will all get. My alumni email address earned me 3gb already and my school is close to 8gb of free storage. The maximum is 25gb for each person signed up from your school.

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Do you remember when I talked about cloud storage? Well, I personally have been using Dropbox for ages and I love it. I have it installed on both my home and work computer so I can easily work on documents in both locations.  It's also helpful when you leave stuff on the printer as you run out the door in the morning.

I also love another cool feature of Dropbox. If you have a smartphone, you can install the app to see your documents on your phone. That's not the cool part though. The cool part is that you can set Dropbox to automatically upload any picture you take. These means that every picture taken on your phone will automatically be uploaded to your cloud storage so that you can see them on the computer and have an automatic back up if something happens to the phone.

When you sign up for your free account, you get 2 GB free just for signing up. Getting bonus space is simple. When you refer new members, you'll get a 250MG bonus.  You'll also get bonus storage for completing a few simple tasks that you'll find on the welcome page.

Additional bonus storage can be earned through social networking. You've probably seen me tweet for the bonus storage before.  I've also posted to Facebook, but not on the Making Cents of It page.

With all these techniques, I currently have about 10.38 GB of storage for free.  Through referrals you can earn a maximum of 16 GB so I can still increase my free storage.  As I said, I love how DropBox has simplified my life.  If the free storage is not enough, DropBox does offer upgrades, but I'm not sure how competitive their prices are.

My Head's In the Clouds

With the release of the Google Drive, clouds are more confusing than ever.  Which one should I use?  Do I need to upgrade?  How do I decide?  These are just a few questions you might be asking yourself.  The answer is not simple.  It really depends on what you plan to use your cloud for.

For readers that don't know what a cloud is, this might sound even more confusing.  Check out my original post on Riding the Cloud: A Guide to Online File Storage.

If you are ready to join the online storage craze you might be looking at the pros and cons of each cloud along with the cost.  Almost every cloud offers a free tier, but some are very small and very restricted.  ars technica has written a wonderful article comparing the free and pay tiers for the major cloud providers.


I found it interesting that Dropbox, while one of the most popular clouds, is also the most expensive paid services.  The free tier only starts with 2 GB but the free upgrades are easy to get.  I love that the app on my phone automatically uploads every picture I take.  That's a 3 GB (500 MB at a time) free upgrade.  You can also earn free storage from referrals, installing the app, and more.

Google Drive is providing 5 GB to start but I don't see any free upgrades.  Of all the drives, they are the cheapest for paid upgrades.  I haven't really played around yet but it looks good so far and Google is reliable for quality.  The only problem I see is that ars technica listed the con of Google Drive as having loose privacy policies.  This makes me worry that they might be looking at your documents, pictures, etc.

Check out the whole article on ars technica to compare the different clouds for yourself.

Double Referral Credits on Dropbox

Do you remember when I talked about cloud storage? Well, I personally have been using Dropbox for ages and I love it. I have it installed on both my home and work computer so I can easily work on documents in both locations.  It's also helpful when you leave stuff on the printer as you run out the door in the morning.

Recently I learned about another cool feature of Dropbox. If you have a smartphone, you can install the app to see your documents on your phone. That's not the cool part though. The cool part is that you can set Dropbox to automatically upload any picture you take. These means that every picture taken on your phone will automatically be uploaded to your cloud storage so that you can see them on the computer and have an automatic back up for when the dog eats your phone (yes, he really turned it into a chew toy).

Right now, Dropbox is offering a really great deal on free storage. That's right, free storage. You get 2 GB free just for signing up. Getting bonus space is simple. When you refer new members, you'll get a 250MG bonus.  Recently, they've doubled the referral credit to 500 MB but I'm not sure how long the promotion will last.  You'll also get bonus storage for completing a few simple tasks that you'll find on the welcome page.

If you're a student, make sure to enter your.edu email on the special page.  Even when the current promotion ends, you'll continue to earn 500 MB for each referral.

Additional bonus storage can be earned through social networking. You've probably seen me tweet for the bonus storage before.  I've also posted to Facebook, but not on the Making Cents of It page.

With all these techniques, I currently have about 7 GB of storage for free.  Through referrals you can earn a maximum of 16 GB so I can still increase my free storage.  As I said, I love how DropBox has simplified my life.  If the free storage is not enough, DropBox does offer upgrades, but I'm not sure how competitive their prices are.

Riding the Cloud: Guide to Online File Storage

Recently more companies have been coming out with cloud storage and you might be wondering a few things.

What is a cloud?

Cloud storage is a model of networked online storage where data is stored on multiple virtual servers, generally hosted by third parties, rather than being hosted on dedicated servers. (Wikipedia)

Basically, a cloud is online storage which allows you to upload your files and they are stored on the companies server. Some companies use multiple servers so your files are still safe if they have an issue with one.

Why should I use a cloud?
Using a cloud is a smart idea because it gives you added security that your files won't be lost if something happens to your computer. A cloud can be used as your main storage, or just as a back-up. I personally keep my pictures on a cloud server. I have a friend that is writing a novel and he saves it on a cloud.

Another benefit of cloud storage is that you can save the file on computer A and open it on computer B. This is great if you're like me and get to work only to realize you left the document on your printer at home.

How much does it cost?
The biggest road block in using cloud storage use to be the cost. Luckily, we know that there are always ways to get things for free and storage space is another example of how shopping around for deals can result in little out of pocket expenses.

How do I decide which company to use?
Depending on your need and how much you are willing to spend, there are a few good options to look into. Below are my favorite clouds along with a quick description and the pro and cons. I have also included how much storage each will provide you for free. That's right, most clouds provide a basic account for free. If none of the services offer enough storage you can always open accounts at different companies. I use one for my work files and a different company for my personal files.

Is it safe?
As with anything on the internet, nothing is 100% safe. We've all read in the news about major companies being hacked. That being said, I've never had any problems with the files I've stored on any of these sites.

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Amazon - Amazon has recently rolled out a cloud server in association with their digital content store. You get a basic 5 GB for free and that can currently be upgraded to 20 GB for free when you purchase an MP3 album. I personally like the MP3 storage because I can play my music from work or home. Purchases are automatically backed-up in your cloud but you can still download them to your computer for iTunes. Amazon will allow you to upgrade up to a 1,000 GB storage plan and the prices are some of the lowest around. If you need 100 GB, you'll pay $100 per year. Remember, a 5 GB storage is free. To upload your files, you will have to manually open your cloud on Amazon and upload individual files.


Dropbox - I personally like Dropbox for the ease of use. Their free account is only 2 GB but I needed to clear my files off the work computer before turning it in at the end of the school year. Dropbox allows you to download a free program which creates a folder on your desktop. Any file dragged into that folder is automatically uploaded to your cloud for back-up. It's extremely easy to back-up multiple files at once. Since I only had basic documents to transfer, 2 GB was plenty of space. Another nice thing about Dropbox is that you get additional free storage (up to 8 GB) for referring new members. Dropbox is more costly for upgrades but I like the automatic syncing. If you need 100 GB, you'll pay $19.99 per month or $199 a year. If you are a student, you can earn double for your referrals. After you enroll, head over to the Dropbox edu link to earn up to 16 GB for referrals. You must already have an account before completing the student upgrade.

iDrive - iDrive is similar to Dropbox because it allows you to download a program which makes syncing as easy as dragging a file into a folder on your desktop. Free storage begins with 5 GB and you can earn an additional 50 GB of free storage through their referral program. The only thing I really don't like about iDrive is possibility an error on my part. A few months ago they had offered a promotion for a free $10 iTunes gift card. I never got the gift card and I never got responses to email follow-ups. iDrive offers different upgrade packages including personal and business. The 100 GB business account is $199.50 per year. The personal account only has one size, 150 GB for $49.50 a year. I can't figure out the difference between the personal and business accounts.

Google - Google's cloud isn't actually a cloud in the sense of the other sites. Google has tons of different serves that can store and save all your files. Google Docs will save your documents such as Word, Excel, PDF, Powerpoint, and others. Google Picasa will store your photos. Google Music, which is still in beta testing, will allow you to upload your music. All of Google's features are free.

For the purpose of comparing apples to apples, I selected to price the 100 GB plan on each site. Prices were obtained on June 6, 2011. If you are reading this post through an archive, please note that prices can change. See the individual sites for current pricing.