When I was younger, cheap printing meant everything was in black and white.
Color pages were reserved for special occasions, which usually never included anything us kids wanted to print.
As much as I hated printing everything in black and white, things did not change much when I moved out of the house. I understood that color cartridges were crazy expensive and our hard-earned money was better spent elsewhere.
Many years later, I opened a Printables shop only to realize that I might be stuck printing my printables from Staples for the rest of my life.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here or look for more information at the bottom of this post.
Enter HP Instant Ink!
Not long after, I came across another shop owner who shared her secret to cheaply printing in color: Instant Ink.
According to her, she could print as many pages as she wanted—in color—without worrying about running out of ink. It sounded too good to be true, but I was intrigued and gave them a look.
Turns out, this HP Instant Ink plan was not only every bit as amazing as this woman said it was, it was BETTER!
What is Instant Ink?
Instant Ink is a program that allows you to print quality pages from your printer without ever having to go out and buy ink cartridges. Like ever!
You sign up with Instant Ink, they send you ink cartridges and will continue to do so for as long as you’re a member.
Want to know the best part? They do not charge for their ink cartridges!
What?! Yes!
I’ll explain everything, but first, let’s see if you have a compatible printer, the key that allows this all to work.
(This is only part of the list, you can go to Instant Ink to see the full list.)
Basically, you need a printer with WiFi capabilities. This allows them to keep track of your cartridge levels and the number of pages you print.
(I thought I would have to save for a printer that qualified but was thrilled to find my printer was on the list!)
Don’t have a qualifying printer? I’ve heard great things about the HP Envy Printers!
Once you have an eligible printer, choose a plan that works for you: (these prices are subject to change)
What I LOVE most about this plan is, I can choose one that meets my printing needs and if I don’t print all the allotted pages, they roll over to the following month.
Also, I found out rather quickly that I chose a plan much too small for us.
It wasn’t long before I got an email from Instant Ink letting me know I was close to my limit. But they suggested that I could upgrade if I had more printing projects coming up.
Doing the math, I saw that upgrading was much cheaper than paying the “10 pages for $1” charge since I knew I would print more before my month was up.
Since signing on with Instant Ink, I have upgraded twice, but I can always go back to a lower plan if I need to. I LOVE that flexibility!
If I’m not paying for ink cartridges, what am I paying for?
You are paying for pages printed. And they do not charge extra for color, which is amazing!
So, let’s say you sign up for their cheapest plan. Right now that is $2.99 a month.
You get ink cartridges sent to your door (it includes the cartridges in the price AND shipping is FREE!!!).
Included is an envelope to send back your old cartridges for recycling (postage is FREE!). Once you install your new cartridges and have your printer connected, your monthly plan begins.
You can print up to 50 pages for only $2.99! Long before your new cartridges run low, they will send you new ones so you are never without ink. (WHY didn’t I come up with this?!)
I have been a member for only a month and they have already sent out new cartridges to replace the ones they sent me when I signed up! (I have printed a lot, you may not get new ones so soon depending on what you print and how often.)
Instant Ink makes being a customer SO easy!
In a very easy-to-understand dashboard, you can see how many pages you have printed and how many you have in Rollover Pages. You can also keep track of what monthly plan you have and when you will be charged each month.
I have to say, this is by far the best subscription program I’ve ever taken part in!
Still not convinced this is the best option for cheap printing?
I get it, my hubby was skeptical at first, too.
But he was pretty impressed when ink cartridges showed up at our door and we paid only $2.99 for them and 50 printed pages!
To see how much money we are saving, based on Instant Ink’s cheapest plan, here are some stats:
The cheapest ink cartridges I have found new is this Black & Tri-color Ink Cartridges 2 pk
on Amazon for less than $40. According to the listing, it should yield 165 colored pages.
Or you can print the same amount online at places like Staples for about $20, plus shipping.
But with Instant Ink, I get 150 pages for $9 AND they ship me new ink cartridges well before I run low, at NO EXTRA COST! I never have to buy ink cartridges again!
Do you see why I’m so excited about Instant Ink??? If you print anything at home, this is an absolute no-brainer! And the savings are even better the bigger your plan is!
BUT, if you STILL aren’t convinced it’s for you, try them and see for yourself.
If you use this link, you get your first month for free!
If after your month is over and you find you just don’t need Instant Ink, cancel your plan and the ink cartridges are yours to keep.
You LITERALLY have NOTHING to lose and an amazing new partnership of cheap printing to gain!
TRY INSTANT INK NOW!
P.S. Once you are all signed up with Instant Ink, head on over to my Shop and give your new subscription a try! 🙂
More BUDGET-FRIENDLY posts:
Tips to Stay on Budget & Save Money
High-Maintenance Hacks for the Low-Maintenance Woman
8 Kitchen Gadgets That Will Save You Time & Money
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, but if I am recommending an item in my post, it is only because I have used it myself or have done enough research on the product to feel it is a good fit for my readers.