KeriJ Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Maybe I'm just buying my printer ink at the wrong place, but I always get confused over "free" printable curriculum. It seems to take a lot of ink and paper, and in the long run becomes more expensive than just buying a workbook. Am I missing out on a good resource to buy printer ink cheaply?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I print out a lot and found that we save $$$ by refilling our ink cartridges. There are kits out there that explain and provide the tools for doing this. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I have a lot of free stuff I'm reluctant to print for that reason. What I've gathered is that printing on a laser printer is cheaper than using an inkjet, and printing 2 pages per side, duplex, on fast draft, is the cheapest way to go. Of course not everything can be shrunk down to 2 pages per side. Some things are still definitely cheaper, especially if you only print the pages you need and read the rest off the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I read the teacher's guide online, and only print the work pages we need. As another poster said, I refill cartridges too. The one I'm currently using is about two years old and still going. I buy paper at the first of the school year when it's cheap at Walmart. I also recycle used paper and use the backs of them for printing. I look for refill ink when it's on sale and that helps also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I used to say the same thing till I was blessed to be given a laser printer. All I can say is WOW! Printing is WAY cheaper! PLUS there are ways of tricking your printer into using all of the toner instead of getting a lot of waste. And then despite the manufacturer's warning you can use lesser expensive refill toner very successfully. I have been doing just that. These you tubes are for my printer, but they may help with other styles too. This site will show you how to get the most out of your cartridge with a cheat: This video shows you how to refill the cartridge: And when it's time to buy a new cartridge (which won't be for a while I think) or toner: http://www.tonerrefillkits.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 There is a cost associated with it, but I would be shocked if it's anywhere near as expensive as just buying the book. One thing you might want to try is making sure that your cartridges are completely empty. I bought a black and white laser printer at the start of the year and the reviews on Amazon said it would print for roughly twice as many pages as it claims it would. Sometime in November, my printer said it was out of ink so we took the cartridges out and covered up the little sensor thing with tape (my husband did this so I don't have a lot of info here), and we've printed tons since then and it's still printing perfectly. Also, I buy the cheapest copy paper at Walmart. I've always kept this kind of paper on hand for my kids to draw on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I used to say the same thing till I was blessed to be given a laser printer. All I can say is WOW! Printing is WAY cheaper! This is the only reason I print some of our stuff out - dh has been given many laser printers that businesses were getting rid of because they were upgrading to something new. In most cases, there was nothing wrong with the printers, and I often ended up with the extra print cartridges, too. So for the past 5+ years, the only thing I've had to buy was paper. I have checked on the price for a new cartridge for my current printer, and it's quite reasonable for the number of pages it prints, but I haven't used up the cartridge that came with the printer yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I too have found the same thing! Although many say to refill your ink cartridges for a cheaper option..I've done that for 2 years and my printer finally capooted because of the refilling. However my new HP will not allow me to refill the cartridge, as it detects and locks my printer. So I won't do that option with my printer. So the best I do is buy the XL ink cartridges and try to get them on sale. However Walmart right now has a DOUBLE combo pack for $50.xx and to me that's a $19 savings!!!! So in the next week I'm gonna pick up 2 of those!! Then I'll have plenty of ink to print next years things. For me the most expensive free curriculum was the MEP math! I printed all the teachers manual, all the student worksheets, all the additional posters and materials and for printing years R-2nd it cost me over $50! Now that we purchased MM for our math, I'm still going to have to print but WAY less!! I've even considered having UPS or Kinko's to do my printing to save me the hassle and in the end it's still cheaper for me to print it. As long as I have it on fast draft and set to black ink only. The only issue I did have last year was printing for an entire year of the MEP math my printer exceeded it's print pages and stopped working in two days! So now I intend on beginning our printing process for next year NOW until then! And just file the months in my filing cabinet that we've already completed. I think this will save me on the "headache" of filing the entire school year in 2 weeks time in the summer.:tongue_smilie: Sorry to ramble. I just wanted to say that I too think to myself..wow I should've just bought the workbook! But in the end..I have 3 children that will use the SAME workbook and printing and copying has just been the best option for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I would suggest a continuous ink system. We have one and it was $115 - bought in August. I print out TOG and numerous other things - I am a paper person. I will not need any refills at this rate, until August of this year and at that point a black ink ottle would cost $40 - it is huge and will last a couple of years. www.inkproducts.com sells them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 mamaofblessings, before we had our Brother laser we had a HP with a ink cartridge. It was a ink hog and the cartridges cost way more than laser ones. I got maybe one tenth of the printing for an astoundingly larger amt of money. I will never by a regular printer again, and especially not an HP. When it comes time for a printer replacement you may want to consider a laser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckabella Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I have a fast and economical option in the printing choices. General Everday printing uses more ink, but the fast and economical option uses much less ink and I hardly notice a quality issue. Also, if just printing in black and white, I make sure I turn color off and print in grayscale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just a word of caution, we got an Epson Workforce 500 and when we tried to buy nonepson replacement cartridges it ruined the printer. I was also told they have technology that will cause it to break if you try to refill the cartridges from Epson. So I guess just look up your printer online to see if it will allow you to refill without printer destruction. BTW, we'd never buy another Epson for just that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just a word of caution' date=' we got an Epson Workforce 500 and when we tried to buy nonepson replacement cartridges it ruined the printer. [b']I was also told they have technology that will cause it to break if you try to refill the cartridges from Epson. [/b] So I guess just look up your printer online to see if it will allow you to refill without printer destruction. BTW, we'd never buy another Epson for just that reason. That is just sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvtheOzarks Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I have a fast and economical option in the printing choices. General Everday printing uses more ink, but the fast and economical option uses much less ink and I hardly notice a quality issue. Also, if just printing in black and white, I make sure I turn color off and print in grayscale. I use those options on my printer as well. I've looked into a Continuous Ink System for my "older" HP Deskjet, but I don't want to spend $100 for it in case the stinkin' thing quits on me--$100 could go towards a brand *new* printer. For now, I'll just keep refilling my HP 21/22 cartridges using the ink from EncoreInk.com. I can get one, maybe two refills for the color cartridge, but I can get up to 4 refills for the black cartridge--why less on the color, I don't know, but I'm still saving money with this option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvtheOzarks Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just a word of caution' date=' we got an Epson Workforce 500 and when we tried to buy nonepson replacement cartridges it ruined the printer. I was also told [b']they have technology that will cause it to break if you try to refill the cartridges from Epson[/b]. So I guess just look up your printer online to see if it will allow you to refill without printer destruction. BTW, we'd never buy another Epson for just that reason. Reminds me of the time when a Maytag washer (most appliances, too) would last for more than 20+ years--remember the commercials that showed the Maytag repair guy just sitting around?--but the companies weren't turning a profit, so they began installing cheaper "guts" and now most appliances won't last past 10-12 years. Those of mine that do last more, I give it a kiss and hug each day!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamamaloca Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just buying a workbook is actually cheaper for me, sometimes, as well. My Lexmark uses a lot of ink and it is pricey. I wish I had a laser printer, and I know it would be cheaper in the long run, but shelling out that initial money is just tough for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just buying a workbook is actually cheaper for me, sometimes, as well. My Lexmark uses a lot of ink and it is pricey. I wish I had a laser printer, and I know it would be cheaper in the long run, but shelling out that initial money is just tough for us. This.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I use a laser printer whenever I don't need color, it's much cheaper. That said, I use printable curriculum when I like it better than the other options, not because I am concerned about the cost. I also only print things on an as-needed basis, a week or so at a time. That way, I don't waste pages that turn out to be unneeded for one reason or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just buying a workbook is actually cheaper for me, sometimes, as well. My Lexmark uses a lot of ink and it is pricey. I wish I had a laser printer, and I know it would be cheaper in the long run, but shelling out that initial money is just tough for us. Brother has some very inexpensive options. In fact our HP deskjet cost more than our Brother laser! Try checking out online prices. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamamaloca Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Brother has some very inexpensive options. In fact our HP deskjet cost more than our Brother laser! Try checking out online prices. :) Thanks for the suggestions! We will look into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 My dad got my mom a laser copier/scanner/printer recently for $109. There are several $100 laser options these days. I think hers is a Canon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 DH was able to bring home an older HP laser from work when they moved buildings. Cartridges are expensive, but they last FOREVER. Having said that, I still find buying workbooks worth it when I'm likely to use most or all of the book. Even when DD is doing the work orally, she still needs to see it in front of her, and snuggling on the couch to do school is MUCH nicer than sitting at the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I have a laser printer. I'm able to get a toner cartridge/drum (my Canon has these combined instead of separate) for $20 (not factory) that works as well as the Canon. I get 2000 pages from these consistently (my printer keeps a page count, so I've been tracking it). As far as paper goes, I buy a case or 2 during the back to school sales. Last time I bought paper there was a deal someone posted here, and I got two cases of Hammermill paper for around $8, so that's 10,000 sheets. So it costs me $0.0108 per page to print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I got my laser printer on clearance, and the only time we've bought new toner (once after about 5 years) was at Costco! Our paper is cheap from Costco as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I got my Brother Wireless laser printer from Staples. Someone on here actually recommended it. It ended up costing us around $60 or so. I got 6 reams of paper for free at the back-to-school sales last year, and could have bought more. I found replacement toner online for less than $20. I figured out, even if you calculate the cost of the printer in, it costs us $.006/page to print with this. Which is almost negligible. Even if I print a 200 page book, it only costs about $1.20, so free curriculums are way cheaper for me. I don't even buy my daughter coloring books. I just print out coloring pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Last year, Staples had reams of paper as one of their penny deals. It was a limit of 2, though I don't know if teachers could get more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) mamaofblessings, before we had our Brother laser we had a HP with a ink cartridge. It was a ink hog and the cartridges cost way more than laser ones. I got maybe one tenth of the printing for an astoundingly larger amt of money. I will never by a regular printer again, and especially not an HP. When it comes time for a printer replacement you may want to consider a laser. I will admit this thing sucks down the ink like you wouldn't believe!! We just purchased this last year because it came with the scan, print and copy capabilities. Is there a particular laser printer you suggest that's gonna run be under $150? I'll want to keep my orig. printer just in case I need color..which as of lately I've been avoiding altogether. But it'd be nice to get a nice laser printer for all the printing we do! Edited January 25, 2011 by mamaofblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I just bought a black and white laser printer, a Brother HL-2270DW. It's supposed to arrive today - I'm so excited! I ordered it from Amazon last week (it was $89.99 with free shipping, but has gone up a bit since then). I had no idea that laser printers had come down so much in price! Here's a link to it - at Staples right now it's $99.99 and you apparently get a free label maker. I kinda wish I had ordered from Staples now, but anyway. I can't attest to how good the printer is yet, but it has a lot of good reviews. I currently have a Kodak ink jet and I hate it. It does have cheaper ink than the other ink jets, but it seems to run out way too quickly. I've been buying cartridges like once a month. Sometimes it just decides not to work at all. And now it refuses to print in fast draft. So when I looked at lasers I was pleasantly surprised at the price and decided to take the plunge. Not only do you have a laser at that price, but ALSO you have a duplex there!!! Meaning it will print on two sides!!! Making book making incredibly easy!!! What a deal!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I will admit this thing sucks down the ink like you wouldn't believe!! We just purchased this last year because it came with the scan, print and copy capabilities. Is there a particular laser printer you suggest that's gonna run be under $150? I'll want to keep my orig. printer just in case I need color..which as of lately I've been avoiding altogether. But it'd be nice to get a nice laser printer for all the printing we do! This one >>> Brother HL-2270DW <<< mentioned in the post above looks good! It is less than $150 and is a duplex! Great deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 This one >>> Brother HL-2270DW <<< mentioned in the post above looks good! It is less than $150 and is a duplex! Great deal! TY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I don't have good printer advice (other than wishing I had a laser printer...:));just wanted to say that I was able to print off all of the student books, most of the teacher's notes, and some assorted copy masters for two students' worth of MEP, and it still cost me less than my books (textbooks, workbooks, and TM) for one student for one year of Singapore. And the Singapore was used. I used my inkjet, and used the draft setting. Yes, it wasn't "free", but it was still a pretty good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leann_in_tx Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 This is something I've been wondering about a lot, and haven't been able to find any specific info on. Thank you everyone for sharing your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myhandsrfull Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 that I love!! We have a cannon D320, it's on sale at Staples right now. Even though ours is working fine I'm thinking of just ordering a new printer, it would be cheaper than ordering just the drum. It's 79.99 after the rebate, I don't know if it still does (we bought our several years ago) but it came with a full sized ink drum. It also has a scaner which has been useful for reproducibles. It doesn't do automatic 2 sided copies but I just flip the paper over to manually do it. Hope this helps someone. Carey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I've got an HP officejet 6500 wireless and the thing drinks ink. Its got a label on it that says cheaper than laser but I can't see thats true. A complete set of inks costs about £45 and the cartridges are really hard to find in any local stores. I'm thinking of getting a duplexing b&W laser for books and just using the HP for colour stuff as thats not that often and it does a lovely job. If the HP wasn't less than a year old I would replace it out right but colour multi function laser is rather out of my budget at the mo and it feels rather a waste of the inkjet printer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 One thing I'll add about laser printers - they don't care if you print thousands of pages a day or don't print a single thing for a year. You don't have to worry about ink heads getting clogged or wiping down heads with wet q-tips. My mom would print once a month and most of the time she'd go to print only to find it was all clogged or needed a new cartridge. I won't even accept an inkjet when it comes "free" with a new computer. :p Lasers are there when you want to print and happy to be neglected when you don't. That's why I love 'em! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 One thing I'll add about laser printers - they don't care if you print thousands of pages a day or don't print a single thing for a year. You don't have to worry about ink heads getting clogged or wiping down heads with wet q-tips. My mom would print once a month and most of the time she'd go to print only to find it was all clogged or needed a new cartridge. I won't even accept an inkjet when it comes "free" with a new computer. :p Lasers are there when you want to print and happy to be neglected when you don't. That's why I love 'em! :D Oh stop it!! You are breaking me down!! :lol::lol: I'm still trying to decide which one I NEED.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I love our Continuous Ink System! I attended a talk by Sue Patrick (the workbox lady) and she suggested this as an option for less expensive printing. A laser printer would be great, but in the meantime, our CIS has liberated my printing. I even allow the kiddo to use our copier to make copies of his own artwork, books etc... You can google it, but basically it hooks to your printer cartridges and refills from a well on the outside. There are a few options to try, but you can google your printer model and see if there is one that will work. I think ours was in the $75 range, and I have been copiously printing since August. Eventually, I will order refills for the exterior wells, but for now - no need. It has been fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I have an Epson that will only work if I use their ink. It was originally $100, but I got it on sale for $50. It's an ink hog, and the quality of the fast draft is very low. I should have done more research prior to purchase, but they got me with the "low" price. I will never buy an Epson again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Maybe I'm just buying my printer ink at the wrong place, but I always get confused over "free" printable curriculum. It seems to take a lot of ink and paper, and in the long run becomes more expensive than just buying a workbook. Am I missing out on a good resource to buy printer ink cheaply?? The curriculum is free - you are not paying the author's royalties, nor are you paying an editor or distributor. It is the printing that is not free. It is actually a very generous offer, there are a lot of materials available now that would not be available because the demand wouldn't support the cost of an editor and print run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 The curriculum is free - you are not paying the author's royalties, nor are you paying an editor or distributor. It is the printing that is not free. It is actually a very generous offer, there are a lot of materials available now that would not be available because the demand wouldn't support the cost of an editor and print run. :001_smile: I actually just meant that we are often told that homeschooling can be done inexpensively, especially if you use "free curriculum from the internet". I was having a hard time seeing that it was inexpensive due to the cost of our printing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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