I personally use LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office in this day and age.
OR you could download LibreOffice for free. Unless you want to do some pretty advanced stuff with spreadsheets and databases, the free office packages are just as good as Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
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Also there are versions available at Stacksocial website where they have lots of other software too. I got a cheap subscription to a VPN and my StickyPassword software. The Microsoft link is here. ALways make sure that you are buying software and not a training session, etc. Oh and there is a Costco membership deal there too!
SoftMaker Office 2024 is on Amazon for some time now and price is signicantly lower and includes 5 licences per househol, not just one. Amazon.com: SoftMaker Office Standard 2024 (5 users) for Windows, Mac and Linux [PC/Mac Online Code] : Everything Else
More information about this great alternative is here:
SoftMaker Office 2024, download free trial of Microsoft Office alternative
and it’s still over priced :). But this move by Microsoft clearly shows people are tired of the subscription nonsense.
I also use LibreOffice on my new laptop. It does everything I need it to do. Write a letter, do the budget in a spreadsheet, etc. It also feels cleaner and less cluttered.
I laughed when I saw people pay hundreds of dollars every few years to upgrade Quickbooks. I thought it was not like Double-Entry Bookeeping has changed much since it was invented in the late 1300 to mid 1400’s. To increase sales they might add dubious features or force an upgrade when they change a format.
Windows 10 was supported for what, 10 years. To support their software, chip manufacturers changed the hardware and Microsoft hoped all those companys and retail users would just upgrade to new computers.
BMW had a subscription if you want to keep your car seats heated; otherwise they could just disable it off remotely. I hear that has now been dropped as a subscription.
However ther is a computer and printer company that still offers an ink subscription.
Don’t get me started on other subscriptions. 
You know that’s funny - your comment about printers. Without naming them h and pointing out their P our business practices, the last two HP printers I had were tossed into the trash. I get the subscription model - but make it obvious. And FFS, if you don’t want to print due to a subscription error or inability to call home - SAY SOMETHING. Living and getting along with my Brother x 2.
I use LibreOffice but just for personal use. If my employer required MS Office I would assume they would pay for it.
They will for your work computer. When I was working, if I wanted to do Offfice work from home, I could get a discount on Office for my home computer, but the company wouldn’t pay for it. I used Libre Office on my home computer when I was working. For basic office functions, it didn’t make a difference. If I had a fairly complicated spread sheet I’d have to use Office, but I also was able to use VPN to get to the company’s network and access my work desktop from home.
On my office network, I have a couple of computers running Microsoft Office 2021. I have a lot of files in Word and Excel formats. Will Libre Office open all the existing documents and spreadsheets? When I create a new one in LibreOffice, can it be opened on the computers with official Word and Excel software?
What are the relative merits of Softmaker versus LibreOffice?
Yes. When you are saving a new document, you need to specify the Windows format, but you can go into settings and set teh default. The only issue I’ve had with the Excel replacement is with more complex spreadsheets, but basic spreadsheets and documents work just fine. If you share a file with someone using Microsoft products, neither of you will notice any differeneces