Three Ways to Save Money on Ink and Toner Cartridges

Ink and toner cartridges run out fast if you do a lot of printing, and replacing them can be expensive. In the US, printer ink is currently priced at about $9,600 per gallon, which is about the cost of 2,791 gallons of milk. A single ounce can cost anywhere from $13-$75.

With ink selling at such a high price, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to find cheap ink cartridges. But there are still ways to save money on ink and toner.

Ink and Toner Refilling

Refilling your ink and toner is a great way to cut costs. According to Consumer Reports, many printer ink cartridges delivered half or less of their ink to the page. A few managed to deliver no more than 20-30%. If you’re throwing away your ink cartridges when you’re finished with them, it’s very likely you’re wasting ink that you payed for.

When you refill your cartridges, or send them away to get refilled, you’re cutting the cost of manufacturing a new cartridge, which will ultimately save you money. If you refill your cartridges yourself, make sure you have the right ink for your cartridge model and wear gloves and a dust mask.

Remanufactured Ink Cartridges

Remanufactured cartridges are cheap ink cartridges that have been sent into a company for recycling. The company refills them and sells them again to consumers. Usually there’s no dip in quality and they’re much less expensive than cartridges purchased from the original manufacturer.

Good Printer Maintenance

Buying cheap ink cartridges won’t help if you don’t take good care of your printer. Turn your printer off when it’s not in use. This seals the cartridges so they don’t dry out. It also reduces the number of maintenance cycles your printer can run, since recent research shows that these can actually waste ink.

What are the ways you save on printer cartridges? Let us know in the comments!