Discount Ink Savings

How do you Make Printer Ink Last Longer?

2010-11-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

Of course everyone is looking for cheap ways to buy ink online or in a store, including getting your ink refilled at Walgreens ( as we wrote about before) or finding a reliable website with low ink prices.

But aren't there other ways to save money on ink cartridges? One way is making your printer ink last longer. Is it possible? I've never really heard much about this but I came across a blog called "phoneix printer repair" that has a short post on making your ink last longer.

Some tips include using draft quality for printing, printing in black and white instead of color when possible, and outsourcing your photo printing- since personal photo printers use a lot of ink to make high quality images.

I'm glad I've finally found online stores where I can buy cheap lexmark ink for my all in one printer, but I will also keep in mind other ways to reduce my ink use, so I can save even more money on printer ink in the long run.

More on Printer Cartridge Life and the Inaccuracy of Printers

2009-01-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

I have come across yet another story on how Printer manufacturers may be ripping you off by telling you it is time to change your ink cartridge way too soon. Previously I read some stories on CNET via discount ink cartridges.

Today my email inbox had this story from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette at http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business/248637/. Their business story includes:
"It's not your imagination: printers really do tell you to replace your ink cartridge long before they are out. Sometimes it is weeks ahead, sometimes months. We have experienced it with inkjet and laser printers. "

The story goes on to quote the PC World story that found that the "you are out of printer ink " messages can come on when your ink cartridges still have 8 to 45 percent of their ink remaining. They go on the mention the oft cited statistic that printer ink can cost $5000 per gallon. Yet, while replacements costs can really add up over time, it is not an expense that stands out to most businesses.

So ink manufacturers can take advantage of the fact that many businesses will need to keep buying ink for their printers in the normal course of business and that the expense is not out of the ordinary. Replacing the cartridges is an expected expense at regular intervals.

While this is true, a lot of people, especially in today's economy, cannot afford to be ripped off- no matter how much.

Cheap Ink on Cyber Monday

2008-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Cheap Ink Tactics has a new blog post on Black Friday Ink Sales. This site makes a good point about all the Christmas sales going on and how you can save money on ink and other things that aren't exactly Christmas presents.

While everyone else is scooping up the flat screens, the video games, and new toys- take advantage by saving money on things like ink cartridges and office supplies.

Do Ink Jet Cartridges Dry Out?

2008-08-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of speculation and disagreement over whether ink cartridges for inkjet printers dry out over time, if all all. Some people say they are manufactured and stored in a way that does not allow that to happen. Others say they will dry out if they sit unused for a long time. Usually this claim applied to when they sit unused but installed in the printer. I am not sure about drying or rotting in the package.

I never really though about this and now wonder if it is worth buying ink refill cartridges in bulk or multiple packs for savings.

Recently I had a newer printer that ran out of color ink very fast. I was surprised at how light the color ink was showing on the paper, considering how little I had used color printing. I figured and still think perhaps the ink nozzles were clogged or something else had worn on the printer components.

I will keep looking into this idea.

Another eBay ink find- Remanufactured Cheap ink

2008-08-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

As I posted before, sometimes the best ink deals are from taking a chance on eBay or another online marketplace like Amazon or Overstock.

Recently I needed some new black ink for my Lexmark all in one printer. Generally Wal-Mart has the lowest prices on these. The black ink comes in 2 options, regular or light. I think even the light one is around $19.97 at most Wal- marts. It's around that or a little higher at Staples and other places.

I went ahead and looked for small lots of remanufactured ink cartridges, as I've had some success with these before. In my experience there are a few bad cartridges in the mix, but if you buy 5, 4 will probably work. look for a good return policy and getting a replacement sent out will be no problem. I guess the only issue is if it takes you a long time to use them all it would be too late for a refund.

What I am finding now is if I buy 5 refilled cartridges online, I can get them shipped for the same price as buying 2 at Walmart. I don't use much color ink but I do use a lot of black on the papers and labels I print.

I can save around $300 a year using remanufactured filled inks bought online in small lots or bulk.

More in Dell Ink- I guess Staples has it.

2008-04-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

For some reason I know a lot of people with Dell printers ( that they bought with their Dell PCs) and they have always had a hard time finding ink at a good price. Well, that's if they can find their ink cartridge AT ALL.

We wrote before about buying ink cartridges on ebay to save money and how you can get Dell ink refilled at Walgreens.

Apparently having Dell ink jet cartridges is a big enough deal to specifically advertise you have ink "'even for Dell." I just saw a Staples commercial. They say they guarantee to have your ink in stock even if it's Dell.

Now, you probably won't save any money at Staples, but it's probably more convenient than ordering from Dell if you want a regular cartridge.

Walgreens Saves Money on Printer Ink, Even for Dell!

2008-04-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have had the same dilemma I've had for quite awhile now, you suddenly realize your printer ink is low, and if you're a Dell customer especially, the hassle begins. When I first got a Dell printer with my computer, I wasn't aware that ink was not available ANYwhere but from Dell's site. I found out soon enough as I cruised Walmart, Best Buy, etc., and saw that there was no Dell ink cartridges to be found. So for Dell customers like myself, ordering through Dell, paying 30 bucks or more per cartridge, then shipping and handling, not to mention waiting a couple of days for it arrive, is a real pain, but it was the only route to take if you were stuck with a Dell printer. Well a few months ago, I saw a commercial for Walgreens, advertising their new ink cartridge refill service. My first thought was "that's cool, but there's NO way this will include Dell." Last week I decided it was time to find out, as my ink was going out, and I did not have the urge to go throw 30 bucks Dell's way once again, so off to Walgreens it was. Surprisingly, when I asked the person in the photo center about refilling Dell cartridges, she responded with "some of them," so things looked a little brighter. She then took my cartridge, and came back and said it'd be about 10 minutes, wow, finally an alternative! Now I have a basic dell 720 ink jet printer, so I can't guarantee every Dell customer can be saved by Walgreens, but it's definitely worth a shot. They refilled my black cartridge for only 10 bucks, and will refill color ink cartridges for 15 bucks, and all done in about 10 minutes. So far so good with their service, the cartridge works fine, but I'll be back here to report on how long it lasted, being that Dell cartridges seem to go out in no time, I'm hoping Walgreens make them last longer. If the cartridge lasts a descent amount of time, Walgreens has won my service. It's faster, cheaper, and they even give you a sheet to show you how the cartridge tested and give you a tip sheet on making your cartridges last longer. Overall, very impressed with the service, and this should be something that every Dell customer especially, but even people who use other cartridges should give a try, as it's way cheaper than buying an entirely new cartridge every time, and certainly better than trying to deal with injecting ink and making a mess trying a "do it yourself" ink kit.

Here are the alternatives. A "do it yourself refill" kit even when bought online with a discount is $12.95. A refurbished compatible ( not OEM) cartridge is $18.99. Then there is the option of buying a new one from Dell for 30 bucks! I think I got the best deal by going to Walgreens for 10 bucks! Don't you agree?

Inktec Black Ink Refill Kit for use in Dell T0529

Refurbished Alternative for Dell Black T0529 Inkjet Cartridge.

Related posts on this blog:
Discount Ink Savings
Dell Ink Deals
Ebay for Ink Savings

eBay has Great Savings on Compatible Printer Ink cartridges

2008-04-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

One of the best places to save money on printer ink cartridges is also the most obvious- eBay. In the past I have had good experiences buying OEM and compatible printer ink on eBay. It is also possible to save more if you buy small lots of 5 or so cartridges.

Here is how sellers are able to offer you a good deal on ink: Some some sellers buy refilled ink in bulk. For example they may find someone selling 1000 re-manufactured or refilled HP45 cartridges ( often for a dollar a two per unit). Then they resell on eBay for 7 or 8 bucks. If the cartridge costs $20 or more in the store it might be a good deal. Especially if you use a lot of ink and can buy 5 cartridges for the price of 2 ( I have bought 5 for $40 before)from the store.

However, there are some things to watch out for, notably QUALITY. "Cheap" is only as good as the overall value. If something doesn't work it doesn't matter how cheap it is. You don't want it. I would not be surprised if 20% of these compatible remanufactured ink jets do not work. Fortunately most good sellers will refund or send a replacement at no cost and tell you to just keep the defective one.

Your other option is buying what other people have but do not need or want. In other words buying from "regular people", not dealers, who have extra ink. This can happen for obvious reasons. Maybe their printer broke and they can't use their stock of refills. maybe they just decided to get a new printer. Or they stocked up from a store that was going out of business.

In this case you will probably get good quality but wont save as much off retail. You could also just buy from an online ink dealer or get refills at a local store that offers that service.