Printer ink ain’t cheap. Manufacturers who make printers are notorious for selling the devices at low prices, only to later make buckets of cash by selling costly replacement ink cartridges.
So, if you have a printer, you want to squeeze out every last possible page before having to replace that cartridge.
It turns out there is an easy — and often overlooked — way to make your printer ink last longer: Leave your printer turned on.
Consumer Reports points out that every time you turn on your printer, it triggers a maintenance cycle. The publication notes that its tests found that many printers use as much ink to clean the print heads as they do for printing itself.
According to CR:
“When we kept the printers on, we saw a noticeable reduction in ink consumption even on some of the most ink-hogging models.”
Consumer Reports urges you not to fret about the environmental impact of leaving your printer juiced at all times. According to the publication, injects consume miniscule amounts of power when sitting idle.
More overlooked ways to save
The Consumer Reports article is another reminder of the many potential ways to save that most of us overlook every day.
For example, your home might be quietly — and needlessly — sucking money out of your pocket 24 hours a day. A little work on your part can turn the situation around, however.
As we have reported:
“Just upgrading to smart power strips can save you up to $100 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.”
For more tips like this, check out “10 Overlooked Homeowner Expenses — and How to Save on Them.”
Some ways to save are actually tied to the seasons. For a quick list of autumn savings, check out “5 Overlooked Ways to Save This Fall.”
What are your favorite overlooked ways to save? Share your tips in comments below or on our Facebook page.
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