There are two things you can be stuck at home: productive or unproductive. Instead of sitting around playing games or watching TV all day long, you should consider expanding your skill set, both for potential career opportunites and for self-betterment. I’ve listed some popular courses that are genuinely useful in today’s society, unlike most of the stuff we learn in college. Best of all, they’re at incredible affordable prices. Check them out.

The 2020 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle for $39

Over 120 Hours of Learning Material

In this day and age, learning to code is one of the safest ways to job security. There’s no lack of programming jobs, especially in growing tech sectors like here in the San Francisco Bay Area. This online package contains ten courses to get you started, or only $3.90 per course. They nclude topics on JavaScript, HTML5, CS3, Python, Django 2, Flutter, Dart, and more.

The All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Bundle for $34

Over 60 Hours of Learning Material

Proficiency in Adobe apps is basically a requirement for today’s graphic or video professional, but these are also very handy tools for hobbyists who are into photography, video streaming, digital art, and more. This bundle includes 8 courses, or only $4.25 per course and includes topics on Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier, Lightroom, InDesign, and more.

KeepSolid Lifetime VPN Subscription for $39

We’ve seen plenty of deals on 1 year, 2 year, and even 3 year VPN subscriptions, but this deal offers you free VPN subscription forever for a small cost. It’s normally $99 if you purchased directly from KeepSolid’s website. We’ve reviewed KeepSolid VPN and have given it a thumbs up. Like any proper VPN, it  offers anonymity while maintaining one of the best networking speeds compared to other VPNs we reviewed. For that reason this is a perfect one to run in the background even while you’re gaming.

$10.99-$13.99 Unity and Unreal Game Development Online Courses at Udemy

Udemy courses run from $100-$200, but for a limited time several of the most popular online courses on game development and game design are only $11-$14. These course are really, really cheap because they aren’t accredited, meaning you won’t get course credit towards school completion or a certificate, however that does not mean the quality of instruction is any worse. For those of you that don’t need to be accredited, this is a super inexpensive way to get excellent training on topics that will benefit you in tangible ways.

The Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle for $34

Over 33 Hours of Learning Material

If you’re aiming to be an Excel maestro, then this course is for you. Don’t look down on this seemingly plain app. Excel is one of the most powerful productivity tools your PC has to offer. Some of the most accomplished IGN employees here are Excel mavens. Because there are so many similarities, your knowledge of Excel will give you an advantage with Google Docs and Google Sheets as well. This bundle includes 6 courses, from beginner to expert.

Babbel Language Learning Lifetime Subscription

Babbel is the number one top-grossing language-learning app in the world and this subscription gives you lifetime access to 14 different languages. Those languages are Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Indonesian, Russian, Danish, Norweigan, and English.

Marvel’s The Infinity Gauntlet Digital Comic Collection (Issues #1-#6) for $2.64

Each issue normally sells for $1.99, and even if you were to sign up for ComiXology Unlimited, you would only be able to access issues #1-3 for free. If you thought the Infinity War movies were good, you should read the spectacular source material. You can choose to download the comics to your Kindle or ComiXology app.

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

Normally 30 Days

The 60-day extension (normally $30) has never, ever happened before. ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

Xbox One X (Factory Refurbished) with Bonus Witcher 3 Game for $229.98 at Dell

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Xbox One X gaming console from a reputable vendor, plus you’re getting an outstanding game. Note that this is a Microsoft refurbished item, which means that it still comes with a 90-day warranty. Note that you do not need to be a Dell member or student to get this deal; simply use guest checkout.

The First IPS Monitor With 1ms and 240Hz: Alienware AW2521HF 25″ 1080p Gaming Monitor for $384.99

This is a new monitor from Dell. What makes this monitor stand out from the competition is that this is the first IPS monitor I’ve seen with a 1ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate. Other comparable monitors, including the ones from Dell, have a TN panel. An IPS monitor is superior because it has much wider viewing angles and better color rendition.

New Alienware Aurora R9 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Desktop PC for $1110

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the Intel vs AMD CPU war, AMD has been giving Intel a run for its money with its flagship processors. The new AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor is comparable to the Intel Core i7-9700, both in terms of gaming and workstation performance. It’s paired with an RX 5700 XT video card, which is on par with the RTX 2070. If you want to upgrade the RAM or hard drive, I’d suggest doing it on your own. You’ll save money, and the Aurora R9 allows for toolless access without voiding your warranty.

Alienware m17 17″ Intel Core i7-9750H GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop for $1086

This is another $50 price drop from yesterday’s already excellent price. The m17 is the 17″ variant of the new generation of Alienware m-series gaming laptops. Despite the larger screen size, it still clocks in at only 5.8 pounds.

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

Source: IGN.com Deals: Expand Your Skill Set at Home With These Cheap Online Courses