Tips for a Speedier Computer

At the risk of sounding like a big nerd, I'm sharing some computer tips that were so helpful to me, and I'm just so excited that I had to share, in case it helps you, too!  Recently my computer's been SO slow, and I've been trying to get to the bottom of it.  After lots of Googling around, here are the things that worked for me:

1. Back it up!  If you have precious photos, documents, or other stuff on there, back it up.  I have an external hard drive that works great and is small in physical size, but big in holding space!  Sometimes I forget to do this, but it would be great if I did it every month, or even every time I uploaded photos.
2. Empty the Trash Bin--I realized that I've had my computer for five years and never emptied it out.  I thought about how often I go there to dig something out, and couldn't remember the last time that happened, so I felt comfortable just emptying it out without going through it, but you may want to scan through it just to see if there's anything you may want to keep in there. 
3. Clean up the Desktop--I'm so guilty of just saving things on my Desktop!  I read a few tips online and it reminded me to file them away on the actual Hard Drive.  it makes my Desktop look so much neater, plus it helps with the speed factor.
4. Clear the Cache--this is where online cookies are stored.  On a Mac, just shoose "Safari" at the top left, and then "Clear Cache."  On a PC, you might have to Google just how to do it, but it really made the biggest difference in making my internet run faster. 
5. Close windows and programs not in use--this one may seem really logical, but I usually have a ton of windows open and programs that run.  By remembering to close them, everything went faster and looked neater. 

That's all that I did yesterday and it's made a huge difference.  I thought my little red MacBook was on its way out the door, but thankfully she's up and running well again.  Hooray!