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Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:48 am
by gaylejackson2
Frugal friends,

Where do you buy your printer ink? Mine is an Epson, uses 288.

Since Staples left town, well left us to go exclusively to the internet, I have a harder time remembering to buy printer ink as I run out. The only place left to town to buy off the shelf is walmart, and they dont always have good prices, Or even what I need.

Also, does Staples still offer rebates for ink cartridges turned back in? I’ll have to investigate that closer I guess.

Re: Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:22 am
by Jackielou
Staples left here as well, so I am stuck getting my printer ink at Walmart or Costco if I remember to pick it up on our big shopping trips.

Re: Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:19 am
by floridacatlover
I get my printer ink from Amazon. Very convenient. I have a Brother printer. I’m not sure Staples still offers ink cartridge credit. Office Depot offers credit but there’s something about you have to spend a certain amount of money. I could never find my ink in stock there.

Re: Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 11:00 am
by frugalaaron
Our local Staples left town too, but I can't complain. There's a nice thrift store occupying the space now.

Luckily, there's a Staples in nearby Knoxville. I recycled cartridges for rewards there in December. Frugal tip: When curb shopping, stop and pull the cartridges out of the printers that have been tossed out.

As far as buying ink, Amazon and Ebay are my go-tos.

With that said, other than a small travel printer, we don't own anything that uses ink cartridges. We took the plunge a few years ago, and bought an Epson EcoTank that has refillable ink wells. It was pricey, but we've never regretted the purchase. The ink bottles are so cheap.

Re: Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:10 pm
by clemencia2us
i have a HP printer, so i order online through them.

To me it is convenient.

Re: Printer Ink

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:33 pm
by ohjodi
I usually order remanufactured ink cartridges online. Prices are 30% cheaper than amazon and walmart, as long as I find a free shipping deal.

I've never had any problem with them. They say using ink that is not branded to your printer will void any warranty.....so if that's a concern don't order off brand or remanufactured until your warranty runs out. My printer cost less than $30 at walmart, so I'm not concerned with the warranty.

To save on ink usage, set your printer preferences to "draft" and "grayscale" or "black and white" unless you need better quality and color.

If you don't set it to "grayscale", the printer will often use the color cartridge to print black, which uses more ink than the black cartridge, alone.

Also, I recently learned, that you should turn your printer off to save ink, instead of leaving it on all day. When you turn the printer off, by the on/off button, the cartridges slide back further in to the printer, and engage a "capping" device that covers the print heads, and helps prevent them from drying out.

Since I very rarely use my printer, I've removed the cartridges and put them in a zip-loc with the air squeezed out. Maybe it doesn't make a difference over just turning the printer off, I don't know.

I have to make it inconvenient for me to print, because I will print EVERYTHING, lol I'm a print-a-holic, so I have to really want something to bother taking my laptop to the printer in the spare room, installing cartridges, plugging everything in, etc lol