Don’t you hate that feeling when you hit “print” and the page comes out spotty and washed-out? The printer ink cartridge is getting low, again, meaning you’re about to have to spend a small fortune.
While there are a number of reasons that printer ink is expensive, that matters less to us than helping you save money. Today we’re going to help you save big on printer ink.
How to Save on Printer Ink
Wholesale
Wholesalers are able to confer some degree of savings to the end user if you know where to look. Online sites that focus on buying in bulk are a good start, as they’re often able to use that bulk discount to offer you lower prices. It can be difficult to find uncommon types of ink, however, such as ink for outdated printers, through these sites.
Another option is to go through warehouse stores like Sam’s Club or Costco. Much like with discount websites, the savings in these stores comes from their ability to buy in bulk. The economy of scale is at play in these places. While you might not find terribly inexpensive single cartridges, you might find stellar deals on packs with three or five cartridges in them.
Remanufactured
An environmentally friendly, and less-expensive, way to buy ink is to go through remanufactured ink companies. Remanufactured ink cartridges are older cartridges that are refilled by a different company. This offers a few benefits for consumers.
For one thing, remanufacturers are able to sell cartridges for much, much less than first-party ink-makers. They’re not subject to the same overhead and price wars that companies like HP and Dell are, so they’re able to pass that on as large savings to the consumer.
For another thing, this also means that there will be less waste in landfills. Metals and plastics are very bad for the earth when dumped in landfills and using remanufactured printer cartridges is just one more way to avoid wastefulness.
Remanufacturing Notes
It’s also worth noting that remanufacturers often fill the cartridges up to capacity. This has long been a sore spot for consumers who have noticed their cartridges seem to be only partially filled up, even when brand-new.
However, be aware that you should research any third-party remanufacturer before ordering from them. Make sure they have good ratings and high praise from actual customers. Especially check them with the Better Business Bureau to make sure they’re the real deal, and not a scam!