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I have a friend who is absolutely, totally and utterly determined to find the cheapest deal ever for everything he buys - especially when he thinks he's being ripped off by 'big corporates' (his words).

 

Now, we all like to quote the classic "printer ink is as expensive as gold" line and it may or may not be true, but when it comes to finding the cheapest option for re-filling your printer, there are certainly some things you shouldn't do. Unless you want to destroy your printer that is.

 

Here's what he discovered. Apparently, you can get some bulk ink off the Internet for a fraction of the cost of a refill cartridge, but how to get it in the printer? Easy, a small incision with a tiny screw he bought from B&Q - doddle.

 

Actually, not so much of a doddle. At first he made a mess of the kitchen floor when the ink went everywhere (mental note - don't squeeze the bottle) and then when he plugged the hole he made in the cartridge with a bit of Blu-tack (not sure that was in the instructions) and placed it back in the printer, the smudges that spread themselves across the paper overflowed into the mechanics.

 

Anyway, it would have cost him £15 to replace his black ink, it ended up costing him £120 for a new printer.

 

He's a great mate, but I did laugh a bit.

If you really want to save money, then check out replacement ink rather than trying to drill and fill your own, seriously, you could actually save a lot of money. Replacement inks are made to some incredibly exacting standards - and you won't ruin the kitchen floor either.