Do you feel like you're spending too much money on printer ink for your inkjet printer? It's not an uncommon feeling. In fact, most people end up spending more for their inkjet cartridges over the life of their printer than they spent on the printer in the first place.

However, there are ways that you can cut down on the amount of printer inks that you use and slash your costs for replacement cartridges. All it takes is adopting a number of simple habits. Here are a few ideas that will show you how to save money on printer ink.

Black and White

Your printer is probably set to print in color as a default - even when you're printing a black and white document. The problem is that black printer ink cartridges are usually larger than color cartridges. When you print everything in the color mode you will inevitably have to buy more cartridges than if you were to print in black and white at the apropos times.

Draft Mode

Most printers are programmed to print in either normal or high quality mode. However, if you reset your printer's default settings to either draft mode or economy mode then you will reduce the amount of printer inks you will use every time you print something.

When you print documents such as emails, directions, or flight itineraries draft mode will be more than adequate for your needs. You may even have a hard time differentiating between draft quality and normal quality.

Then, when you need a high quality print, such as for a business letter or a resume, just change the setting.

Clean Your Printer

Wipe down the interior of your printer at least once per month with a soft, lint-free cloth. Aside from looking better, dust can block your printer's nozzles. When that happens you will probably end up with smeared or streaked prints. And that will waste a lot of ink.

Cleaning your printer on a regular basis will help you to prevent wasting printer ink that results from having to reprint streaky or smeared printouts.

Three-In-One Cartridges

Avoid buying a printer that has a three-in-one cartridge. Although it is more convenient it will end up costing more when it comes time to replace your printers ink cartridges. That's because multiple colors are included in one cartridge and when the first one runs out of ink you will have to replace the entire cartridge. This can be a tremendous drain on your wallet over the course of time.