How to Save Money on Ink Cartridges

Printer ink can be a bit more costly than is absolutely necessary. Most manufacturers can get away with charging almost any price they want because many consumers aren’t aware that they have any other option at all. This is simply not true however, and I want to get the word out to help you save a few bucks by purchasing compatible ink cartridges with a lower price point.

There are a couple of different ways to do this, so in this short article I will outline the options you have before you to help you make the right decision. Where once you may have thought you had no choice at all, you actually have three options: The manufacturer’s own ink (expensive), third-party compatible ink cartridges (cheaper), and remanufactured ink cartridges (cheapest).

What kinds of options do I have?

Of those three options most people will assume that the manufacturer’s recommended ink is of a higher quality, and so the rule of thumb would be to shell out the extra cash for that option if you could afford to do so. This isn’t the way I see things, though, because compatible third-party ink cartridges can be just as well made, and remanufactured ink cartridges may in fact be the manufacturer’s brand you are looking for.

Compatible ink cartridges can be made by anybody, so it is a rather wide-open market. You will find some options much better than others however, and this is the only danger in shopping for this type of replacement ink. You want a company with a good reputation, so that you can trust the quality of their ink and be sure that things aren’t going to go wrong.

The other option is remanufactured ink cartridges, which is my personal preference for a couple of reasons. First, because these cartridges are well made and shouldn’t be viewed as “used” at all, but are more akin to “refurbished” products in that they are recycled, rebuilt, and made good as new. You are not losing quality in that process. The real reason to buy remanufactured ink cartridges though is simply that they tend to be the cheapest of all the available options, meaning you get the best of both worlds.

My Recommendation

Any time I am asked this question I have the same answer to give: Buy remanufactured ink cartridges. The benefits in terms of saving money are obvious, but what really makes this an easy decision is that you get exactly the same ink that the printer was designed to be used with. 

You can buy HP remanufactured ink cartridges at 4inkjets's website.