All couponers know that the Internet is an ultimate goldmine for high-value, special coupons you can’t get in your local Sunday paper. However, the cost of printing all these great coupons add up quickly. Here are my top 10 ways on how to save money printing coupons:
1. NEVER pay for printer paper.
There are always great deals at Staples and Office Max for you to get free paper after rewards or rebates.
For example, the last time I “bought” paper at Staples, I received every penny I paid OOP back in Staples Rewards and rebates, making all 11 reams FREE! I turned around the next month and used my rewards to pay for printer ink!
2. Use every inch of your paper.
A lot of the time with internet coupons, you will only be printing one coupon per page. This can really eat up your paper supply quickly.
A great tip is to print your coupon once, turn your paper over and upside down to print your second copy (double check before you hit print so you don’t ruin your first copy!!)
Another option when printing one coupon per page is to cut your coupon and save the rest of the paper in a bin for when you print other single coupons.
Also, when printing from large coupon sites such as coupons.com, redplum.com, smartsource.com, etc., try to print 3 coupons to a page.
3 coupons per page is the standard when printing online coupons. Sometimes when you print just one coupon from these sites, a large, ink-wasting ad will print afterwards so its best to just print additional coupons.
Most couponers don’t know that you can actually print coupons on paper that has already been used. As long as you print on the clean side and the coupon scans, it’s completely acceptable!
3. Refill your ink cartridges instead of buying new.
Staples, Office Max and Walgreens are among many stores that offer deep discounts for refilling your ink cartridges.
4. Recycle your ink cartridges.
If refilling your ink cartridges is not an option for your printer (not all can be refilled), you can also recycle your ink cartridges for credit towards a new cartridge.
5. Buy generic ink and save big.
This is a tricky one but can save you big money. Generic ink can cut your costs in half or more but may not always work well in your printer.
My HP printer recognized the generic toner and wouldn’t align properly and printed blurry coupons which would not scan. If your printer accepts them without affecting your print quality, it’s the best way to go. Amazon is a great place to look for discount ink.
6. Change your printer settings to save ink.
Open the “Devices and Printers” icon on your computer and change your printing preferences to draft quality or ink saver mode (options vary per printer). The bar codes will still print fine and you’ll be get more prints from your cartridge.
7. Print your coupons in black and white, not color.
Even though coupons come with a picture of the product, it does not need to be in color. Black ink cartridges cost less than color cartridges (as much as $10 or more) and the coupons are still legit.
8. Research your printer and save.
There are lots of options out there for both ink jet and laser printers. If your main purpose for buying a printer is for printing coupons, you certainly don’t need one with lots of bells and whistles.
Finding one that has good print quality, a fair price for cartridges and a good purchase price is all you need. Check out my choice for a perfect printer for coupons!
9. Use E-coupons or mobile coupons when you can.
A large number of stores offer some version of e-coupons that you can load onto your shopping card or mobile coupons than can either be scanned or shown to the cashier on your smartphone. Both options allow you to save both paper and ink.
I caution those whose visit stores that double coupons as E-coupons will not double. That being said, most are still a valuable option.
10. Don’t print every coupon.
This may seem like common sense but it’s happened to all of us, especially new couponers. We print every coupon there is because it can save us money and then we end up throwing it in the recycle bin at the end of the month because it’s expired — wasting ink, paper and time.
Think of what you buy on a normal basis and look for related coupons. The more you use coupons, the more you’ll learn what is truly a rare coupon or one that will be available again soon.
Even if the coupon makes the item free, if it’s not something you can use or easily donate, it’s not worth it.
For more ways on how to save money on food, check out other great posts here.