With free printables and coupons and any number of other things, it seems that I go through printer ink like it’s water. I am constantly printing something. All that printing can be expensive as you are using up so much ink. Over the years, I have found a few tricks to save money on printer ink.
Print in fast draft
For most things, fast draft is just fine. I have my printer set up so that is the default mode. On occasion, I will have a coupon that has a hard time being scanned but the cashier will just put it in by hand.
Print in black only
I don’t do this with my coupons anymore as my cashiers don’t seem to like it. But for most things, unless I really need color, I print in black and white or gray scale. Black ink is cheaper than color so I prefer to use that.
Buy ink online
My favorite place to buy ink is on ebay. My current ink cartridges were $18.50 for a black and color, genuine new cartridges. The ones I just purchased are refilled extra large ones, a black and color for $14.50. I’m hoping they work just as well. The only drawback to online ink is that you have to think far enough ahead that you don’t run out of ink.
Change your printer
Make sure that your printer doesn’t use the most expensive ink. Unless you need a high end printer for some reason, most of us can get away with a cheaper one. I have a 3-in-1 printer (scan, copy, print) that I love. If I forget to order my ink ahead of time, a black cartridge is only $14-15 at my local Walmart.
I have had 4 printers since 2004, all HP. My previous one only got replaced by this one as I needed the copy function. Photocopying letters of reference, college transcripts, resumes, etc. was costing me a small fortune. I find that HP printers last a long time and have affordable ink. (No, they didn’t pay me to give them a plug, I just really like HP printers.)
What about you? What tricks do you do to save on printer ink?
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