[Wall-E]

You have to get software compatible with raw processing. Then you find you have a wide range of adjustment and control way beyond what you get with jpg processing.

Even Picasa will render a RAW file.

LightRoom is not expensive. Straight up, it's under $150 US.
For people who are getting paid, compare that to the time saved x your hourly rate, over a year. I save an hour or more PER SHOOT. And at $50/hr, it only takes me a couple of weeks to make that up. Anything after that is 'gravy' (US colloquialism).
And the things it can do still astound me.