If you print a lot of coupons as I do, you have probably found yourself in need of printer ink and paper more often than before.
I had to think about this one day while I was heading out to my local office supply store. Is printing coupons really worth the money you end up spending to replace ink and paper?
I know for a fact that I am buying more paper and replacing ink cartridges more than I did before I began using printable coupons. But I also know that I have been able to cut my grocery budget down to a third of what it used to be!
So the coupons are here to stay!
Here are some tips to make printing so many coupons more frugal.
Here are my frugal printing tips:
- Find a great place to pick up ink for a very low price. When I did some research, I found that I could buy the same ink online at a discount ink shop for much less money than I was spending at my local office supply chain store.
- Buy paper in bulk. I always look for a good deal online
. But I have been able to find some good deals at my office supply chain store when I buy a large case of paper. - Use all of the paper. Sometimes a coupon will print on a piece of paper and only use the over top of the paper leaving over half a sheet left. I save these extra papers to use for making lists or scrap paper around the house.
These are just a few of the things I do to make the most out of printing my coupons!
Alyssa says
Just yesterday I bought a “cheap” printer because the ink cartridges are cheaper than the one I have. THe printer itself was cheaper than the ink cartridges for the darn printer I have.
.-= Alyssa´s last blog ..Anxiousness. . . Proceed with Caution =-.
Kristie says
I know I have definitely thought about doing that too. My last printer cartridges were almost $60 to replace!!! Waiting to see how this one I have now does, so far so good.
Frugalwarrior2 says
I have bought all my printers at garage sales for $10. (at least 10 as i keep moving up in series numbers.Using 900 series now from 500). I use both ends of the paper so there is not much scrap then recycle the middle. I practiced on MB so it wasn’t valuable coupon I could only get 2 off.
Kristie says
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Ada says
Staples regularly has 500 pkgs of copy paper on sale for $1 after easy rebate – which truly is “easy”! this week Hammermill paper is on sale. They also have a free rewards program that gives a quarterly rebate for paper and ink purchases along with periodic rebates offered on other products – got an $80 backpack free last Fall and over $60 worth of Duracell batteries right before Christmas 🙂
I always get my ink cartridges refilled at Walgreens – each month they have a schedule of sales at the photo counter and one day of the week where ink refills are on sale – usually for $9.99 – either black or color – last month they were only $8.99 on Fridays. Not sure what the April schedule will be but you can find out at the photo counter. I think they last at least as long as the cartridges that I paid twice as much for!
Kristie says
Thanks these are some pretty great tips!
christine says
Another cost saving tip is look for a used laser printer, or at least a really good deal on new one. On ink cost alone, I can print 5000+ on my b&w HP laser printer for $15-$20 by getting refilled/refurbished toner cartridges. I just got a new HP inkjet before Christmas and other then printing 1 photo, the only other I printed was coupons. It hasn’t even went through an entire ream of paper (less then 500 sheets) and its already out of several colors. Its going to cost a lot more then $15-$20 to replace them.
With paper, look for a good deal at one of the office stores & then order it when they will deliver it to your house for free. Its almost always cheaper by the case and then you don’t have to lug it home 😉
Kristie says
These are great tips, especially about the laser printer! I’ll have to consider that.