Maybe I'm just cheap, but I have very rarely been satisfied with shareware.
Freeware programs are usually better quality, and have none of the annoying reminders of shareware.
For example, I have a shareware spreadsheet that is not satisfactory. It is not comparable to Corel WordPerfect Office Professional 7, but it beats the snot out of Microsoft Works. Excel makes me do everything differently, so I avoid it. For personal purposes, I usually use WordExpress. If you came up with a good, FREE spreadsheet for personal use, I would try it.