Ten Tips for Saving Money on Printing Costs

Today I'm(Utah Deal Diva) going to share with you how to save money on printing costs. We all print amazing internet coupons, but if you've even just started printing coupons, you've probably realized just how short-lived those print cartridges are!

Here are a few tips on maximizing your ink usage and lowering your out-of-pocket costs for printing supplies.

1. Buy your cartridges online. There are several online retailers, but my favorite is DataBazaar. They offer free shipping and my normally $14+ cartridges cost me $4. They're easy to use and last long- both bonuses!
2. Refill your print cartridges at drug stores. I know Walgreens in my area has this service. I've heard it's substantially less than buying a new cartridge. However, I know they don't offer this service for a wide variety of printers, so call ahead first.
3. If you have to buy them at a store, go to Staples. They have moderate prices, good selection and will also take your old cartridge and give you a $3 credit on your next cartridge purchase!
4. Print in draft. I print my coupons in color. The reasoning is because there are often watermarks on coupons that simply don't print in black & white. Many online coupons are high value and I don't want to take any chances with my coupon not being accepted! You can select "draft quality" (also called "fast quality") in the Preferences options before printing.
5. Watch your coupon print. Most often, the coupon prints on the top, with advertisements on the bottom. After the coupon prints, push the "Cancel Print" button. The rest of the sheet comes out and you haven't wasted your ink on those ads!
6. Don't replace your cartridge until the ink is GONE. My printer gives me a warning for a long time before the ink runs out completely. During that time, my print quality still looks very good. If I replaced the cartridge when the warning came up, I'd waste quite a bit of usable ink! Wait for the ink to be completely out before replacing it. {Each printer is different- if yours is running out of ink and the prints start to look terrible, replace the cartridge!}
7. Stop printing photos from your printer! Sure, it's nice to have them right then, but the quality really is much better when you use an online photo service such as Shutterfly for printing.
8. Print on scrap paper. Old homework assignments, fliers- if it has a blank side, use it to print coupons!
9. Print on both sides of a new sheet of paper. This tip only works for single prints of coupons! When you print several from places like coupons.com, don't try to print on the back side or you'll end up with a coupon on each side of the paper {and having to choose which one to use!}
10. Take advantage of "Back to School" sales for buying paper. Right now, office retailers are having huge sales to get shoppers in for school supplies. Even if you don't have kids in school, pay attention to these sales and stock up now! 

This is a great article from Utah Deal Diva! I actually learned something!