​​
Private list of my books
​1 PLAN
​Resources focused on helping families plan and organize their life.

1.1 Life
Resources for personal and family life organization.

1.2 Time
Tools for time management, such as planners or apps.

1.3 Money
Financial planning and budgeting resources.

2 THINK
Tools to enhance thinking and problem-solving abilities.

2.1 Ideas
Content aimed at fostering creative thinking and generating new ideas.

2.2 Problem Solving
Techniques and strategies for solving family-related problems.

2.3 CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Resources focused on CBT techniques for managing emotions and behaviors.

3 REST
Guides to improving relaxation and creating healthier habits.

3.1 Relaxation
Materials to promote relaxation techniques.

3.2 Meditation
Resources for practicing meditation and mindfulness.

3.3 Habits
Content about building and maintaining healthy habits.

4 LEARN
Ways to gain and process information for personal or family development.

4.1 Input information
Resources for gathering new knowledge, such as online courses or tutorials.

4.2 Process information
Tools to help process and analyze the information gathered.

4.3 Ouput knowledge
Ways to apply and share the knowledge gained.

5 WORK
Resources to improve work-related aspects of life, whether through employment or entrepreneurship.

5.1 Buy/Sell
Information on buying and selling goods or services online.

5.2 Employment
Resources for finding employment or improving job performance.

5.3 Self-Employment
Guides for those who are self-employed or interested in starting their own business.

6 SHARE
Content that encourages building and maintaining connections with others.

6.1 Family
Resources to help families communicate better and support each other.

6.2 Friends
Guides to maintaining strong relationships with friends.

6.3 Others
Information on connecting with the wider community and other networks.
Click to set custom HTML
​ninite.com


Here is a quick guide for each program, including what it does and where you can safely download it.
📝 LibreOffice
  • What it's for: A free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. It includes a word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentation tool (Impress), and more for all your document needs.
  • Where to download: The official website is the safest place: libreoffice.org. You can also get it via Ninite.
🎬 VLC Media Player
  • What it's for: A versatile media player that can play almost any video or audio file format, as well as DVDs and streaming protocols.
  • Where to download: Get it from the official site: videolan.org. Also available on Ninite.
🎞️ DaVinci Resolve
  • What it's for: A professional, all-in-one video editing suite used for editing, color correction, visual effects (VFX), and audio post-production.. A powerful free version is available.
  • Where to download: Download directly from the developer, Blackmagic Design: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve. Not typically available on Ninite.
📹 OBS Studio
  • What it's for: Open Broadcaster Software, used for live streaming and screen recording.
  • Where to download: The official site is obsproject.com. It's also on Ninite.
🖼️ GIMP
  • What it's for: GNU Image Manipulation Program, a powerful, free, and open-source image editor, similar to Photoshop.
  • Where to download: Download from the official site: gimp.org. Also available on Ninite.
🎙️ Audacity
  • What it's for: A free, open-source audio editor and recorder for recording, editing, and mixing audio.
  • Where to download: Get it from the official site: audacityteam.org. Also available on Ninite.
🧊 Blender
  • What it's for: A professional, free, and open-source 3D creation suite for modeling, animation, rendering, and more.
  • Where to download: Download from the official site: blender.org. Also available on Ninite.
📓 Obsidian
  • What it's for: A powerful note-taking app that works on a local folder of plain text Markdown files, great for building a personal knowledge base.
  • Where to download: Download from the official site: obsidian.md.
🧸 Scratch
  • What it's for: A visual programming language and online community where you can create interactive stories, games, and animations.
  • Where to download: You can use it online or download the offline editor from scratch.mit.edu/download.
🎮 Godot Engine
  • What it's for: A free and open-source game engine for creating 2D and 3D games.
  • Where to download: Download from the official site: godotengine.org.
🎞️ HandBrake
  • What it's for: A video transcoder used to convert video files from one format to another.
  • Where to download: Download only from the official site: handbrake.fr. Not typically available on Ninite.
📦 7-Zip
  • What it's for: A file archiver with a high compression ratio, used to create and extract compressed files like .zip and .7z.
  • Where to download: Download from the official site: 7-zip.org. Also available on Ninite.
🛡️ A Note on Safe Downloads
  • Ninite: For many programs listed above, Ninite.com is an excellent choice. It lets you select multiple applications and download a single installer that will automatically install them all at once, without any bundled toolbars or adware. It's a very safe and convenient option.
  • Official Websites: Always prefer the official website of the software developer. This guarantees you get the authentic, unmodified version.

 Creativity & Design
  • Inkscape – A powerful free vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator. Great for logos, illustrations, charts, and diagrams.
  • Krita – A professional free software designed specifically for digital painting and animation, with an interface that artists love.
  • Affinity Suite (Photo, Designer, Publisher) – Recently made completely free for personal users, this professional-grade trio is a direct alternative to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
    • Download: affinity.serif.com (you need to register on the website to get the free license)

🎵 Music & Audio
  • MusicBee – A powerful local music player and manager, perfect for organizing large music libraries.

📁 Productivity & Efficiency
  • OnlyOffice – Another excellent free office suite, with outstanding compatibility with Microsoft Office file formats.
  • PDF24 – A comprehensive free PDF toolbox that lets you create, merge, compress, convert, edit, and sign PDF files.
  • Bitwarden – An open-source password manager that syncs your passwords across all platforms (Windows, mobile phones, browsers).
  • Mozilla Thunderbird – A free, open-source email client that supports multiple accounts, calendars, and tabs – a great tool for handling large volumes of email.

🛠️ System Tools & Utilities
  • PowerToys – A set of system enhancement tools officially made by Microsoft, including FancyZones (window management), bulk file renaming, a color picker, and more.
    • Download: Microsoft Store or GitHub
  • Wintoys – A free app that lets you optimize, streamline, repair, and customize your Windows system from a clean, intuitive interface.
    • Download: Microsoft Store
  • FxSound – A free system-wide audio equalizer that significantly enhances your computer's sound output.
  • Double Commander – A dual-panel file manager, similar to Total Commander, ideal for users who need to manage large numbers of files efficiently.
  • Kudu – A free, open-source system cleaner and scanning tool to help free up disk space.
  • CrystalDiskInfo – A tool for monitoring your hard drive's health, displaying S.M.A.R.T. information.

🌐 Networking & Communication
  • Brave Browser – A privacy-focused and fast web browser with built-in ad blocking.

🎬 Media Server & Streaming
  • Jellyfin – A completely free, open-source media server software that turns your computer into a private streaming server for your movies, music, and photos.

🔧 Developer & STEM Tools
  • Jupyter Notebook – A tool for creating and sharing interactive documents that contain code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text – highly popular in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields.
  • Gitea / GitLab CE – If you want to host your own code repository, these are open-source alternatives to GitHub.

💡 Safe Download & Installation Advice
  1. Always prefer official sources – This is the safest and most reliable way to get software, ensuring you receive the latest, untampered version.
  2. Use Ninite – For Windows users, Ninite.com remains a convenient option. You can check off the software you need (like LibreOffice, GIMP, VLC, 7-Zip) and it will generate a single installer that installs everything at once, automatically rejecting any bundled adware.
  3. Microsoft Store – For Windows 10/11 users, the Microsoft Store is also a safe and reliable source, and many free apps are available there.
  4. GitHub – For open-source software, the project's official GitHub repository is an excellent place to find the latest releases or historical versions.
  5. Stay cautious – Continue to avoid third-party download sites or unknown cloud storage links to prevent accidentally installing malware or unwanted bundled software.

Let me know if you need any more details about a specific program!


Here's a curated directory of genuinely useful free software — use the filter buttons to browse by category.
A few tips for safe downloading:
Ninite is the safest way to install popular apps on Windows — it bundles everything into one clean installer with zero toolbars or bloatware. Just visit ninite.com, tick what you want, and download.
PortableApps.com is the go-to hub for portable software — apps that run from a USB stick with no installation and leave no trace on the PC.
Chrome Web Store (chromewebstore.google.com) is the only safe place to install Chrome extensions — avoid third-party extension sites.
For everything else, always download directly from the developer's official site (the links in each card go there). Avoid third-party download mirrors like CNET/Download.com, as they often bundle unwanted software.


​🖥️ PRODUCTIVITY
  1. Ninite Bundle — Install and update many apps at once with no bloatware or toolbars. Select what you want and download one installer.
    → ninite.com
  2. LibreOffice — Full office suite (Writer, Calc, Impress), a solid free alternative to Microsoft Office.
    → libreoffice.org
  3. Thunderbird — Feature-rich email client by Mozilla supporting multiple accounts, calendars, and filters.
    → thunderbird.net
  4. Obsidian (Free) — Markdown note-taking app with bi-directional linking, great for building a personal knowledge base.
    → obsidian.md
  5. PDF24 Creator — Create, merge, compress, and edit PDFs for free with no watermarks.
    → pdf24.org

🔒 SECURITY
  1. Malwarebytes (Free) — Scans for and removes malware, adware, and ransomware on demand.
    → malwarebytes.com
  2. Bitwarden — Open-source password manager. Stores and auto-fills passwords securely, synced across devices.
    → bitwarden.com

🎬 MEDIA
  1. VLC Media Player — Plays virtually any video or audio format with no extra codecs needed.
    → videolan.org
  2. GIMP — Powerful image editor with layers, filters, and tools comparable to Photoshop.
    → gimp.org
  3. Audacity — Record and edit audio tracks, apply effects, and export in many formats.
    → audacityteam.org
  4. OBS Studio — Record your screen or live-stream to YouTube/Twitch. Professional-grade and completely free.
    → obsproject.com

💻 DEVELOPMENT
  1. VS Code — Microsoft's popular code editor with extensions for every language and framework.
    → code.visualstudio.com
  2. Git — Version control system, essential for any coding project, used with GitHub/GitLab.
    → git-scm.com

🔧 UTILITIES
  1. 7-Zip — Compress and extract archives (ZIP, RAR, 7Z and more). Lightweight and reliable.
    → 7-zip.org
  2. Everything (Search) — Instantly searches every file on your Windows PC by name, far faster than built-in search.
    → voidtools.com
  3. Greenshot — Screenshot tool with built-in annotation, cropping, and direct sharing options.
    → getgreenshot.org
  4. Speccy — Shows detailed hardware info (CPU, RAM, GPU, temperatures), useful for diagnostics.
    → ccleaner.com/speccy
  5. CrystalDiskInfo — Monitors your hard drive or SSD health and temperature, alerts you before a disk fails.
    → crystalmark.info

🔌 PORTABLE APPS
  1. PortableApps.com — Platform for running 400+ apps from a USB stick with no installation needed and no trace left behind.
    → portableapps.com
  2. Sumatra PDF (Portable) — Tiny, fast PDF and eBook reader that runs straight from a USB drive.
    → sumatrapdfreader.org
  3. KeePass (Portable) — Offline password manager storing everything in an encrypted local file, runs from USB.
    → keepass.info
  4. IrfanView (Portable) — Lightweight image viewer and converter handling RAW, batch processing, and dozens of formats.
    → irfanview.com
  5. Notepad++ (Portable) — Lightweight text/code editor with syntax highlighting, a big step up from Windows Notepad.
    → portableapps.com

🧩 CHROME EXTENSIONS (install only from the Chrome Web Store)
  1. uBlock Origin — The most effective ad and tracker blocker, lightweight with no catches.
    → Chrome Web Store
  2. Bitwarden Extension — Auto-fills passwords from your Bitwarden vault directly in the browser.
    → Chrome Web Store
  3. Dark Reader — Applies a dark mode to every website, with customisable brightness and contrast.
    → Chrome Web Store
  4. Grammarly — Checks grammar and spelling as you type anywhere on the web, free tier is genuinely useful.
    → Chrome Web Store
  5. Google Translate — Translate selected text or entire pages instantly.
    → Chrome Web Store
  6. OneTab — Collapses all open tabs into a list, saves memory and reduces clutter instantly.
    → Chrome Web Store
  7. Momentum — Replaces the new tab page with a calming dashboard showing your daily focus, to-do, and weather.
    → Chrome Web Store
  8. Screencastify (Free) — Records your screen or webcam from the browser, free tier gives 5-minute clips.
    → Chrome Web Store


LOCAL AI

​Running AI locally means the model runs entirely on your own computer — no internet needed, no data sent anywhere, completely private. The easiest way by far is Ollama.

What you need first
  • A reasonably modern PC or Mac (the more RAM the better — 8GB minimum, 16GB+ ideal)
  • About 5–10 GB of free disk space
  • That's it

Step-by-step with OllamaStep 1 — Download Ollama
Go to ollama.com and click Download. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Install it like any normal app.
Step 2 — Open your terminal
  • On Windows: press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter
  • On Mac: press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Enter
Step 3 — Download an AI model
Type this and press Enter:
ollama run llama3Ollama will automatically download the model (about 4–5 GB) and start it. This only happens once — after that it loads instantly.
Step 4 — Start chatting
Once downloaded, a prompt appears and you just type your question and press Enter. It works like ChatGPT but entirely on your machine.
Step 5 — To stop it, type /bye and press Enter.

Getting a proper chat interface (optional but recommended)The terminal works but isn't very comfortable. You can add a free visual interface:
  • Go to github.com/open-webui/open-webui — this gives you a ChatGPT-style interface that connects to Ollama running locally. Installation instructions are on that page.
Alternatively, LM Studio (lmstudio.ai) is the simplest all-in-one option — it includes its own interface, lets you browse and download models with a few clicks, and requires zero command-line knowledge at all.

Which model should you pick?ModelBest forSizellama3General chat, writing~4.7 GB
mistralFast, good quality~4.1 GB
phi3Low-RAM computers~2.3 GB
codellamaCoding help~3.8 GBTo switch models just type ollama run mistral (or whichever name) in the terminal.

The honest truth about local AIIt works surprisingly well for writing, summarising, brainstorming, and coding help. It will be slower than ChatGPT unless you have a powerful GPU, and the models are smaller so answers may be less nuanced. But for privacy-sensitive work or offline use, it's excellent — and completely free forever.




🔍 ENCYCLOPEDIAS & REFERENCE
WebsiteDescriptionURLWikipediaThe free online encyclopaediawikipedia.org
BritannicaTrusted general encyclopaediabritannica.com
ScholarpediaPeer-reviewed open-access encyclopaediascholarpedia.org
CitizendiumExpert-authored wiki encyclopaediacitizendium.org
Encyclopedia.comReference and encyclopaedia resourceencyclopedia.com
InfopleaseFacts, almanac, and referenceinfoplease.com
Answers.comQ&A and reference siteanswers.com
WikimediaUmbrella for all Wikimedia projectswikimedia.org
💬 Q&A & COMMUNITIES
WebsiteDescriptionURLQuoraQuestions answered by experts and communityquora.com
Stack OverflowProgramming and tech Q&Astackoverflow.com
Stack ExchangeNetwork of expert Q&A communitiesstackexchange.com
RedditForums and communities on every topicreddit.com
Ask.fmSocial Q&A platformask.fm
Quizz ClubTrivia and quiz communityquizzclub.com
🤖 AI & TECHNOLOGY
WebsiteDescriptionURLChatGPTOpenAI's conversational AIchat.openai.com
NiniteInstall and update free software, no bloatwareninite.com
PythonOfficial Python programming language sitepython.org
Scratch (MIT)Visual coding for beginners and childrenscratch.mit.edu
LibreOfficeFree office suite (Word, Excel, Impress)libreoffice.org
PixabayFree images and videospixabay.com
📚 LEARNING & EDUCATION
WebsiteDescriptionURLKhan AcademyFree courses in maths, science and morekhanacademy.org
TED TalksInspiring talks on every subjectted.com/talks
How Stuff WorksPlain-English explanations of how things workhowstuffworks.com
BBC BitesizeRevision guides for UK school studentsbbc.co.uk/bitesize
WikihowStep-by-step guides for almost anythingwikihow.com
eHowHow-to articles and guidesehow.com
SwiggleChild-friendly search engine (Key Stage 2)swiggle.org.uk
Study Guides & StrategiesStudy skills and exam preparationstudygs.net
Physics.orgPhysics learning and discoveryphysics.org
PLOSFree peer-reviewed science journalsplos.org
NESTAInnovation and education charitynesta.org.uk
The RSAIdeas for social changethersa.org
EventbriteFind and book local events and courseseventbrite.co.uk
MeetupFind local interest groups and learning eventsmeetup.com
💰 MONEY & FINANCE
WebsiteDescriptionURLMoneySavingExpertMartin Lewis's consumer finance advicemoneysavingexpert.com
Which?Consumer advice and product reviewswhich.co.uk
Money Advice ServiceFree impartial money guidance (gov-backed)moneyadviceservice.org.uk
InvestopediaFinancial education, dictionary, tutorialsinvestopedia.com
MrMoneyMustacheBlog on frugal, financially free livingmrmoneymustache.com
MoneyfactsBest buys for savings, mortgages, creditmoneyfacts.co.uk
Savvy WomanPersonal finance for womensavvywoman.co.uk
Be Clever with Your CashDeals, reviews and money tipsbecleverwithyourcash.com
National Debt LineFree debt advicenationaldebtline.org
StepChangeDebt advice charitystepchange.org
Citizens AdviceFree advice on money, law, housing, and workcitizensadvice.org.uk
FCAFinancial Conduct Authorityfca.org.uk
UnbiasedFind independent financial advisersunbiased.co.uk
💼 WORK & CAREERS
WebsiteDescriptionURLNational Careers ServiceCareer guidance and job search (UK gov)nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
LinkedInProfessional networkinglinkedin.com
The Guardian JobsJob listings across all sectorsjobs.theguardian.com
Indeed UKMajor job search engineindeed.co.uk
Total JobsUK job listingstotaljobs.com
Charity JobJobs in the charity and non-profit sectorcharityjob.co.uk
CV TipsCV writing advicecvtips.com
People Per HourFreelance work platformpeopleperhour.com
Startups.co.ukAdvice for starting a business in the UKstartups.co.uk
Gov.uk BusinessOfficial UK government business guidancegov.uk/business
Companies HouseRegister and look up UK companiesgov.uk/companies-house
Prince's TrustSupport for young entrepreneursprinces-trust.org.uk
EtsySell handmade and creative productsetsy.com
AlibabaGlobal wholesale sourcingalibaba.com
Survey MonkeyCreate surveys and questionnairessurveymonkey.com
🧠 WELLBEING & MENTAL HEALTH
WebsiteDescriptionURLNHS (mental health)NHS mental health conditions and supportnhs.uk
Get Self HelpCBT worksheets and self-help guidesgetselfhelp.co.uk
Psychology ToolsTherapy and CBT resourcespsychologytools.com
Therapist AidTherapy worksheets and videostherapistaid.com
Help GuideMental health and wellbeing articleshelpguide.org
Black Dog InstituteMental health research and resourcesblackdoginstitute.org.au
SamaritansEmotional support helplinesamaritans.org
Young MindsChildren's mental health charityyoungminds.org.uk
ChildlineSupport for children and young peoplechildline.org.uk
Mayo ClinicTrusted medical informationmayoclinic.org
Patient.infoHealth information for the publicpatient.info
Simply PsychologyPsychology articles and study guidessimplypsychology.org
SanvelloMindfulness and CBT-based wellness appsanvello.com
Free MindfulnessFree guided mindfulness resourcesfreemindfulness.org
Oxford Mindfulness CentreEvidence-based mindfulnessoxfordmindfulness.org
🌱 LIFESTYLE, HABITS & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
WebsiteDescriptionURLZen HabitsBlog on minimalism and better habitszenhabits.net
James Clear (Habits)Atomic Habits author's guide to habitsjamesclear.com/habits
The MinimalistsLiving meaningfully with lesstheminimalists.com
Daily GoodUplifting and positive newsdailygood.org
Karma TubeInspirational videoskarmatube.org
Creativity PostArticles on creativity and innovationcreativitypost.com
MyCotedCreativity techniques directorymycoted.com
ParkrunFree weekly 5km community runsparkrun.com
Good GymGet fit by doing good in the communitygoodgym.org
Low ImpactSkills for sustainable livinglowimpact.org
Greenpeace UKEnvironmental campaigninggreenpeace.org.uk
The Thinking KingMiguel's own creative thinking sitethethinkingking.com
🏠 DIY & HOME
WebsiteDescriptionURLDIY DataDIY guides and projectsdiydata.com
DIY DoctorHome improvement advicediydoctor.org.uk
Ultimate HandymanDIY tips and forumsultimatehandyman.co.uk
Practical DIYPractical guides for home projectspracticaldiy.com
Home TipsHome repair and improvement advicehometips.com
Planning PortalUK planning permission guidanceplanningportal.co.uk
✈️ TRAVEL & LEISURE
WebsiteDescriptionURLTripAdvisor UKTravel reviews and recommendationstripadvisor.co.uk
Visit BritainUK tourism and travel guidevisitbritain.com
Time Out LondonWhat's on in Londontimeout.com/london
TravelinePublic transport journey plannertraveline.info
🔒 ONLINE SAFETY
WebsiteDescriptionURLGet Safe OnlineInternet safety guidancegetsafeonline.org
Scam BustersScam awareness and protectionscambusters.org
Police UKFind local policing informationpolice.uk





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