Save Big On Printer Ink
Generic, Remanufactured Cartridges Just Two Ways To Save
So how can you save? Tip one -- buy a different printer. If you have a cheap one, it might actually be costing you more per refill than a more-expensive one. Buying a cheaper printer actually costs you more because of the price of the cartridge? Absolutely," said Office Depot manager Andy Stone. "That would work when you purchase a brand-name printer that would go for sixty dollars. When you have to get a color and black cartridge together, they're seventy dollars together," said Stone. That means spending more for the cartridges than the unit itself?
Another tip: If you only print black-and-white, check out a laser printer. The cartridges cost more, but you can print up to 10 times the number of pages - In the long run, a real bargain!
Tip three: Save money by knowing your ink options: Name-brand is the most expensive. But there are cheaper alternatives: generic (in other words new, but made by another company) and remanufactured (a used cartridge that has been refilled and repackaged).
Mark Rogge runs the web site clearanced.com. He specializes in generic ink cartridges. For example, for an Epson color cartridge, he has a generic alternative. "One has the name brand, one doesn't have the name brand," said Rogge. "They both have the same ink. They are both gonna give you the same print quality. This particular ink cartridge is 25 dollars. The compatible cartridge is gonna cost you seven."
How about remanufactured cartridges? Office Depot sells them right next to the name-brand ones. How much can you save? "Anywhere from 5 to 8 dollars," said Stone.
If you would rather keep your brand-name cartridge, you can get it refilled -- around $13 dollars for black ink, $15 for color.
The cheapest alternative: Refill it yourself. A new black Hewlett Packard cartridge would cost about $30. We bought a refill kit for $15 - and we can refill more than once. The downside is the mess. Printer manufacturers are getting wise to this -- some even install chips on a cartridge to prevent it from being refilled with new ink. So it pays to investigate your ink options thoroughly. Keep in mind, you can't refill a cartridge forever -- it will eventually wear out. If you get poor results, buy a new cartridge.
Some printer manufacturers suggest using brand-name cartridges only. For example, Hewlett-Packard says, "Poor printing performance and other problems may occur when using off-brand, remanufactured, or refilled ink cartridges."
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