If you are operating a home business, chances are that you are printing labels, invoices, reports, your own promotional materials, and other miscellaneous items. You may be using a lot of printer ink. Printer manufacturers make their money on selling you the ink cartridges, not necessarily on selling you the printer. Here are a few inexpensive ways to buy printer ink.

Cartridge World has stores that refill ink cartridges. You can get printer cartridges refilled for about 1/3 the cost of buying a new one. The quality is the same. Just bring your cartridges to the store and they will be refilled in about 15 minutes.

Walgreens drugstore now offers printer cartridge refills in the photo department. The cost is $10 for black ink, and $15 for color cartridges. The cartridges are sent out to be refilled and are back at the store for pick-up in a couple of days.

Printpal is another company that offers discount cartridges. You can either buy refilled/refurbished cartridges from them, or send yours in to be refilled. Either way, it is much cheaper than buying brand new cartridges.

InkStop is a franchise business that offers off-brand compatible cartridges for most name brand printers. The cartridges they offer are a fraction of the cost of brand name cartridges. InkStop also has a recycling program for used cartridges.

Buy a refill kit. The kit contains the ink and a syringe and you refill your own cartridge at home. (Be sure to wear rubber gloves, it can be messy.) You can find refill kits on the internet and on eBay for $8-$10.

Before you run out of ink again, check out some of these inexpensive ways to purchase printer ink. Eventually you will have to purchase new cartridges as the electronic components wear out, but you can reduce your operating costs by refilling cartridges or buying a generic brand instead of the name brand. Cutting down your operating costs is another way to improve your bottom line. Visit my Moms in Business Blog for more information on working at home and running a small business.