Getting Started Couponing: How to save on ink when printing coupons

If you are like me, you probably print a ton of coupons and subsequently use a lot of ink. Here are a few tips on how to reduce your ink usage when printing coupons:

• Change your printer settings – You can save ink by changing how much ink your printer uses to print a piece of paper. To change yours, go to Devices and Printers on your computers Start Menu. Then right click on your printer and select printing preferences. Under printer setup you should have multiple choices for how you want to print. I print my coupons in draft and it still works great at the checkout.
• Print in black and white – Color ink is expensive and you shouldn’t use it unless you HAVE to use it. Ask your stores if they accept printable coupons in black and white. If they do, change your printer settings to print in grayscale.
• Cancel the print as soon as the coupon prints - Sometimes a coupon will print with a huge ad beneath it. As soon as you see the coupon come out of the printer, cancel the rest of the print using the cancel button on your printer.
• Turn your printer off when it’s not in use - Instead of letting your printer sit in idle mode waiting to be used, manually turn it off with it’s on/off switch between uses. This activates the park position for your ink cartridges and it prevents them from drying out.
• Print at least once a week - Don’t let your cartridges sit without being used. This can cause them to dry up. Try to print using both color and black at least once a week.
• Print until it dies – Keep a close watch on your printed pages when your computer starts to alert you that ink is low. You’ll start to notice when the ink starts to fade and that’s when you should change it, not when the computer tells you to change it.
• Refill your cartridges – You can refill your printer cartridges 4-6 times. Walgreens refills them in their store or you can buy a refill kit and do it yourself.
• Purchase refurbished cartridges – A refurbished cartridge costs less than a new one. Consider using a company like 123inkjet to buy recycled cartridges. Plus check to see if you can earn cash back from Ebates or ShopatHome before you buy!
• Research ink for your printer - I researched ink on my printer and found out that I could buy an XL cartridge for about $10 more and it prints twice as much as a regular cartridge.
• Purchase a new printer – If your current printer is an ink hog, do some research to find out what kind of printer you can get that will save you money in the long run on ink.

Do you have any tips on how to save on ink? Also let us know what kind of printer you have and how much your ink costs and how long it lasts….

I have a wireless Lexmark x4650. The black XL cartridge is $27 on Amazon and lasts me about 3-4 months! And I print a ton of coupons.

If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series. It will teach you how to coupon like I do!