Leaving applications open when not in use

This may be the world's dumbest computer question but what effect does it have on the OS to leave applications open on the dock when not in use? Any? Apps such as, e.g., Office 2008? Does it slow the OS to have apps open when not in use? Or perhaps no effect unless using them? Does it matter if Safari is left open after logging off a secure site?
I've been compulsive about closing what's not in use but I just installed Office 2008 and Word and Excel, for example, are slow to open so I'd like to just always leave them open on the dock.
Sorry if this is just too dumb. I searched but didn't find anyone else who had asked. Maybe everyone else knows.

Active Memory: 987.37 MB
Free Memory: 388.07 MB
Wired Memory: 253.62 MB
Used Memory: 1.62 GB
Inactive Memory: 418.75 MB
Total VM: 50.97 GB
Number of processes: 79
ID Process Name User CPU RSIZE VSIZE
0 kernel_task root 2.7 200.78 MB 1.24 GB
1 launchd root 0.0 596.00 KB 586.72 MB
10 kextd root 0.0 1.29 MB 586.16 MB
11 DirectoryService root 0.0 3.69 MB 589.31 MB
12 notifyd root 0.0 604.00 KB 586.15 MB
13 syslogd root 0.0 1.12 MB 587.64 MB
14 configd root 0.8 2.00 MB 587.24 MB
16 distnoted daemon 0.0 844.00 KB 585.56 MB
17 mDNSResponder _mdnsrespo 0.0 1.36 MB 587.48 MB
23 securityd root 0.0 2.39 MB 589.34 MB
27 ntpd root 0.0 884.00 KB 586.11 MB
28 cupsd root 0.0 1.51 MB 586.84 MB
29 cron root 0.0 660.00 KB 586.66 MB
30 update root 0.0 296.00 KB 585.54 MB
31 SystemStarter root 0.0 688.00 KB 585.58 MB
35 mds root 0.6 39.32 MB 788.62 MB
36 loginwindow jandonnast 0.0 9.21 MB 774.46 MB
37 KernelEventAgent root 0.0 664.00 KB 585.65 MB
38 kdcmond root 0.0 996.00 KB 585.70 MB
41 hidd root 0.0 608.00 KB 586.07 MB
42 fseventsd root 0.2 1.82 MB 592.33 MB
44 dynamic_pager root 0.0 708.00 KB 585.58 MB
46 diskarbitrationd root 0.0 1.43 MB 585.67 MB
50 autofsd root 0.0 680.00 KB 585.59 MB
51 socketfilterfw root 0.0 1.56 MB 585.91 MB
57 krb5kdc root 0.0 1.39 MB 586.03 MB
58 coreservicesd root 0.0 36.82 MB 628.69 MB
59 WindowServer _windowser 2.5 76.48 MB 887.56 MB
61 blued root 0.0 2.61 MB 596.56 MB
106 launchd jandonnast 0.0 576.00 KB 585.72 MB
120 hpusbmond root 0.0 780.00 KB 586.78 MB
128 HPIO Trap Monito root 0.3 1.63 MB 590.09 MB
130 hpdot4d root 0.4 684.00 KB 588.45 MB
133 nmbd root 0.0 1.21 MB 586.95 MB
136 InternetSharing root 0.0 832.00 KB 586.04 MB
137 bootpd root 0.0 988.00 KB 585.69 MB
138 named root 0.0 4.89 MB 589.91 MB
150 AirPort Base Station Agen jandonnast 0.0 3.87 MB 717.38 MB
154 Spotlight jandonnast 0.0 11.09 MB 831.79 MB
155 UserEventAgent jandonnast 0.0 2.04 MB 589.72 MB
157 ATSServer jandonnast 0.0 10.23 MB 648.36 MB
158 pboard jandonnast 0.0 592.00 KB 586.60 MB
159 coreaudiod root 0.0 3.91 MB 591.96 MB
160 SystemUIServer jandonnast 0.0 11.88 MB 743.37 MB
162 Finder jandonnast 0.4 53.75 MB 828.07 MB
167 HP IO Classic Proxy jandonnast 0.0 2.46 MB 657.68 MB
168 HP Scheduler jandonnast 0.0 3.76 MB 685.18 MB
169 HP AiO Notifications jandonnast 0.2 3.23 MB 677.94 MB
171 HP Event Handler jandonnast 0.2 3.48 MB 660.33 MB
176 Palm Desktop Background jandonnast 0.0 4.45 MB 721.80 MB
181 Transport Monitor jandonnast 0.0 3.64 MB 659.34 MB
183 Logitech Control Center D jandonnast 0.0 6.17 MB 720.07 MB
227 AppleSpell.service jandonnast 0.0 5.13 MB 601.66 MB
246 smbd root 0.0 2.15 MB 590.67 MB
247 smbd root 0.0 332.00 KB 590.67 MB
23176 RealPlayer Downloader Age jandonnast 1.5 3.30 MB 684.38 MB
23177 RPDLAgentHelperD root 0.1 12.94 MB 599.34 MB
32757 HP Rules Processor jandonnast 0.0 2.01 MB 656.36 MB
35385 mdworker nobody 0.0 2.37 MB 599.77 MB
35387 Mail jandonnast 0.3 55.34 MB 812.88 MB
39355 Microsoft Word jandonnast 0.3 157.98 MB 955.50 MB
39356 Microsoft Database Daemon jandonnast 0.0 8.85 MB 726.32 MB
39358 Microsoft AU Daemon jandonnast 0.0 2.37 MB 672.68 MB
39363 Microsoft Excel jandonnast 0.1 102.52 MB 910.05 MB
40504 setiathome6.03 boinc_proj 13.9 37.45 MB 635.11 MB
40885 Safari jandonnast 0.0 55.18 MB 784.16 MB
40914 SyncServer jandonnast 0.0 23.46 MB 615.11 MB
41014 mdworker jandonnast 0.0 7.49 MB 606.30 MB
41091 ocspd root 0.0 1.09 MB 585.88 MB
41178 Activity Monitor jandonnast 31.4 10.00 MB 769.53 MB
41179 pmTool root 22.0 1.36 MB 595.65 MB
76340 Dock jandonnast 0.0 18.34 MB 778.05 MB
77461 updateSharingD updatesh 0.0 304.00 KB 577.55 MB
79106 BOINC jandonnast 0.5 11.88 MB 744.59 MB
79108 boinc boinc_mast 0.0 2.52 MB 587.57 MB
79793 DashboardClient jandonnast 0.0 32.48 MB 826.73 MB
79794 DashboardClient jandonnast 0.0 23.57 MB 748.25 MB
79795 DashboardClient jandonnast 0.0 12.27 MB 727.93 MB
99653 iCal jandonnast 0.0 24.74 MB 746.82 MB

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