Everyday Cheapskate

If you ever have wondered how retailers can nearly give away computer printers as an incentive to purchase the computer, you may not have looked at the price of the ink cartridges. Manufacturers don't make their money on the machines. They know that if they can get you to accept that printer, you'll have no choice but to buy their expensive ink cartridges to keep the thing cranking out copies. But wait. Maybe you do have choices. Here are ways that "Everyday Cheapskate" readers keep the costs at bay without giving up the option of printing copies at home.

TONER TAMER. We purchase refurbished LaserJet printers on eBay. They use toner cartridges instead of ink. Toner lasts much longer and doesn't dry up if you don't print on a regular basis. Some of the printers we have purchased even come with a cartridge. Usually they cost us less than $100, including shipping, and toner cartridges need to be replaced far less often than the ink cartridges in inkjet printers. We save a lot of money in the long run. — Courtnay, Colorado

INK MASTER. I take my printer's ink cartridges to be refilled, which is cheaper than buying new cartridges. An employee at OfficeMax told me that the print quality for a refilled cartridge largely depends on how quickly it is refilled. If it is taken out of the printer and not refilled soon, the cartridge dries out and the print quality when it is refilled will not be as good.

PRINTER OPTIONS. Another way to save on printer ink is to print in black and white, as opposed to color, and choose lower-quality printing, such as "draft" quality or "fast print," when you don't need a quality copy. You usually can find these options under "preferences" when you are ready to print. Use the pull-down menu to print rather than the printer icon on your toolbar so you can change your printing options as needed. — Lucienne M., California

PAPERLESS PRESERVATION. When I make online purchases, I save the order confirmation screen in a folder under my favorites on my computer instead of printing the page for my records. Also, instead of making paper copies of rebate submissions, I scan the paperwork into my computer before mailing it. This way, I can look up the information quickly, and it is stored safely without creating clutter and wasting paper. — Patty, e-mail

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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