WetGeek In fact, I haven't paid for any software for at least 10 years.
Nor have I, but I financially support the distros (e.g. Solus, Ubuntu Budgie) and software (e.g. LibreOffice) I use. I don't think of it is "paying" for software, but instead I think of it as supporting FOSS by helping the communities that develop and maintain quality FOSS software remain financially viable.
To me, it is important. Contributions may make the difference between a quality product remaining viable or going under. Solus, for example, has about $12,000 on hand today (2022/05/11), and budgeted expenses of $22,000 for the year. Although much of the shortfall will be met by ongoing contributions from the Solus community members who donate monthly, I hope everyone reading this will consider becoming a contributor (monthly or otherwise) through Solus Project's Open Collective if not already a contributing member of our community.
