For those struggling to stay ahead in the current economy, buying non-perishable items in bulk not only saves time but money. Finding deals on bulk or bundled items was considered a challenge for many. At one time, it seemed only specialty stores that required a membership fee to join had the best buys in things like electronics and food. In these crunch times, merchants are looking to move as many items as quickly as possible – whether it is food, clothing or computer accessories.



As computers are quickly becoming a way of life for many, equal time may be spent using a printer – especially since today’s printers have other features such as scanning, copying and faxing hard copies. Constant use means that the printer ink cartridge will have to be replaced often. If a person were to buy printer ink on a bi-monthly basis, they could spend as much as two hundred dollars a year! For the user that is picky about the printer ink quality, or if the printer is used by others, this amount can double.



When stores advertise printer ink specials like ‘buy one, get one free’ many users may be tempted to stock up on printer ink cartridges. This is good for the person who likes to print a lot of photos or other artwork as they can require that printer ink quality produce vibrant colors and hues. A person who prints a lot of text documents may not require a high print resolution but their printer ink needs may be greater than that of the average user. Or the user that makes their living by using a home computer may benefit from buying one extra printer ink cartridge or two for future use.



Though offers to ‘buy three and get one free’ may seem sensible at that moment, they may not be practical for everyone. There is the chance that a user may find themselves having more than they need and cannot return it for a refund or store credit. The best way is to use these determining factors such as the age of your printer, how often it is really used and the possibility of cutting back on usage. An alternative would be to set printer ink defaults to expel a minimal amount of ink per job (Draft or Economy print setting). The quality would not be optimum, but if a person is trying to watch their money, it is a way to stretch dollars. Users can also ask their office supply or chain discount store about generic or store brands that may be compatible. If buying in bulk is right for you, it’s worth the time to find discounts on your printer ink cartridges.


Printer ink can be a major cost for home computer users. As many consumers know, printer companies typically charge rather low prices for actual printers but extremely high prices for the toner and ink that those printers use. This can lead to outrageously high costs when it comes to replacing ink cartridges constantly. Buying bulk printer ink is one way that some consumers try to get around these huge costs. The question is, is it really worth it to do so? It really depends on the consumer’s definition of “worth it.”

The entire purpose of buying bulk printer ink is to pay a lump sum of money up front for a large amount of ink cartridges that you’ll eventually use. This ultimately leads you to save a certain amount of money per cartridge. However, there are a few issues with this strategy that might make it impossible for some home printer users. First of all, if a consumer doesn’t have several hundred dollars to afford bulk printer ink, the initial purchase can’t be made. While it’s true the consumer would eventually spend this money on ink anyways, paying in one bulk sum rather than over time can be hard to budget. This can make buying bulk printer ink infeasible.

There’s another big problem, and it’s a big one. If ink cartridges sit for long periods of time without being used, the ink inside them can begin to settle. In some cases, that ink settles on the print heads of the cartridge, which can result in a frustrating experience when the computer tries to print with one of these cartridges. Ink can spill, or prints can be sketchy and difficult to make out. Depending on the model, some cartridges can be completely unusable after sitting unused too long. Ink solidifies or dries, rendering the cartridge completely useless. This can make bulk ink a bad purchase, as it can end up being more expensive than buying a single cartridge if a computer user doesn’t use a lot of ink.

Rather than buying bulk cartridges, many consumers opt for ink cartridge refill kits, which can be a much better choice in many cases. Refill kits aren’t as likely to dry up or cause a burst, and the ink itself can be safely bought in bulk. Of course, it’s very important with these systems to properly follow the instructions provided with the kit. Otherwise, you might run into the same sticking and print head issues. Consumers that use a lot of ink might still consider large-scale printer ink purchases. Either of these methods should yield big savings for consumers. They’re simply dependent on the ink usage and habits of the computer user.