When it comes to saving money around the office, getting a cheap inkjet ink cartridge should be a priority. If you simply buy the first thing you see from the office supply store, inkjet printer ink cartridges will eat up your budget in no time. They can get pretty pricy, so savvy shopping is a must. Here are a few options for buying them cheap and for offsetting the overall cost.

Bulk Inkjet Ink

If you order directly from the manufacturer, you can typically save a hefty percentage on the price. In fact, the difference is so great that many people make a living buying ink in bulk and selling them individually online, and still charge less than you’d spend at the store. The downside is that your budget might simply not cover that much ink at once, and ink does expire if you buy more than you need.

“Endless” Ink Cartridges

If you have some technical know-how, if you can handle a screwdriver and a roll of duct tape, some people have converted their ink cartridges to endless ink supplies by hooking them up to a larger container of ink via a rubber hose. There are tutorials online for this, but you may not want to attempt it if you don’t know at least know how to take apart a computer.

Selling Your Used Cartridges

There are companies out there who will pay anywhere from five to ten dollars for a used inkjet cartridge, and more for unopened packs if you ever wind up with the wrong brand for any reason. Properly recycling your cartridges is serious business, and these guys take it off your hands and give you a little cash for your troubles.

Ink is expensive, sure, but only a sucker pays full price. Shop around and see what kind of deals you can get.