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    Cheap Printer Ink

    Stop paying $40/cartridge.

    Real cost of ink

    • Brand-name ink ($30-50/cartridge) is among most expensive liquids on Earth.
    • $3,000-5,000/gallon equivalent.
    • Generic / refilled ink works fine for most seniors' printing.
    • Or: switch to EcoTank printer (ink wells, not cartridges).

    Save options

    • Generic / compatible cartridges — Amazon, $5-15/cartridge. 80% of brand quality.
    • HP Instant Ink subscription — $1-12/month based on print volume.
    • Brother Refresh subscription — toner sent automatically.
    • Costco / Sam's Club ink refill — local stations, often half-price.
    • Sell empty cartridges — Staples gives $2 each rewards.

    Best printer = lowest ink cost

    • Epson EcoTank ET-2800 ($200) — refillable ink wells. 2 years of ink included. ~$0.01/page printing.
    • Brother HL-L2350DW ($150) — laser. Toner $20-30 lasts 3,000 pages.
    • Canon MegaTank — same idea as EcoTank.
    • Skip cheap inkjet ($40) — ink costs $40+ per refill.
    • Lifetime cost: EcoTank $200 + $50 ink/yr. Cheap inkjet $40 + $200 ink/yr.

    Print less

    • Read on screen instead of printing.
    • "Print to PDF" + save to phone — instead of paper.
    • Print only essential — boarding passes, recipes, important docs.
    • Library prints 10-25 cents/page if rare need.
    • FedEx / UPS Store for occasional large jobs.

    Rare-print households

    If you print less than 50 pages/month — DON'T own a printer. Costs more in ink-drying-up than printing. Use library or FedEx. Or buy a cheap laser printer ($150 Brother).