I always dread replacing my printer ink cartridge. Aside from being afraid that I will break the printer while taking the thing out and putting a new one in, I dread the purchase. For a tiny little ink cartridge, I have repeatedly come to expect a cost of $50-$70. And that make it a pricey commodity. With papers, projects and other assignments due on a regular basis, I can't really afford to leave the printer empty though.

One way to deal with the dilemma is to buy printers that take low-cost or low-output ink cartridges, but that can limit your options a lot. A better way to deal with the problem would be to avoid expensive printer ink cartridges all together. Is that even possible? I know it's hard to believe, but the answer is a resounding, "yes!"

One way to lower your printer ink costs is to find a company that refills existing cartridges. A refill decreases waste because consumers reuse the same cartridge and, since ink is the least expensive factor in ink cartridge production, refills are usually about a third of the price for replacement cartridges.

If you break the cartridge taking it out or you can't find a local company that refills existing cartridges, another way to lower costs is to move away from name-brand printer ink cartridges. Name-brands are always more expensive than alternative products because people trust them. And, even though there are times that name-brands have higher quality than alternates, ink cartridges do not need to be name-brand to be high quality. As long as the product has earned good reviews and an ISO9001-2000 certification, consumers can trust it to be reliable. And, since ink is not an expensive component of production cost, you don't have to worry about skimpy quantities either.

If you are still wary of trying out cheaper ink cartridges, I would recommend conducting a little experiment. Just buy one and see how well it performs. At a fraction of the price, it won't be a large financial investment and the rewards could be substantial if it proves reliable. You don't have to worry about a warranty being voided by using compatible products either so you have virtually nothing to loose by branching out.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to search for alternate printer ink cartridges is to search online. You don't have to drive anywhere are scan a jumble of products on the shelves. Just click the mouse a few time and search for an ink cartridge by make and model.