Get Printer Ink on the Cheap

Despite what most manufacturers would have you believe, your inkjet printer is not going to implode if you use third-party ink cartridges in it. Desktop printers are so cheap now based in part on the fact that the big brands expect to stick it to you later down the line with outrageously priced refill cartridges.

But if you're willing to do a little bit of research, you can easily find ink that's 1/3 the price of branded ink, and works just as well. (You can also refill your cartridges yourself, but I've got a few ruined shirts to testify against this messy endeavor.) Though Consumer Reports warns against buying off-brands for high-quality graphics, a new report from Trusted Reviews found that cartridges from Cartridge World outperformed the branded inks even on full-page photo tests. So get what you need from them, or online from Print Pal, and let other suckers subsidize your cheap printer.