If you spend a lot of time typing the same things over and over – the company's address, the "thank you" e-mail, the odd boilerplate on the expense report – heed this advice.

Download Texter.

Texter is a free program that lets you type short strings of text to produce long ones.

You might, for example, tell Texter to write out your full address every time you type "add" and hit the Tab key.

Computer programmers have long sworn by text-expansion programs. But in other professions, few people even know of such products, let alone take advantage of them.

Most people don't even realize how much they retype until they get a text-expansion program and start paying attention.

Do you end many e-mails by asking how the other person is doing and then signing off? Make a shortcut.

The possibilities are endless.

To get Texter, type the word into a Google search box, click on the first link and watch the instructional video.

The only note I'd add to the instructions from Texter author Adam Pash is this: When you first open the program, go to the Tools menu at the top, click on Preferences and check the box that makes Texter start up whenever you start your computer.

If you forget to do this, you'll need to do it manually.

Sadly, Texter doesn't work on Macs. Apple users should try a similar program called TextExpander, which is far more powerful than Texter but costs $30 after a 30-day trial.Pros: It's free and saves countless hours.

Cons: Lacks some advanced features, such as tracking date and time. For PCs only.

Bottom line: A godsend