You can get a code signing certificate from GoDaddy.com for a lot less than $500. In fact, you can get one that lasts 2 years for what you already have donated. Here’s the link:
http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/ssl/signing.asp?ci=13314
I’ve used GoDaddy for close to 10 years, and I’ve known multiple other people who use their SSL certificates. Adding a new cert provider is a lot less trouble than turning on the test mode in Win7 and Win Server 2008+. Take a look.