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We are halfway through our third homeschool year, and although there are some challenges--mainly trying to just find time for everything--it is one of the best decisions I've made in my life.
There are so many amazing printable resources online--many of them free--that you could probably teach for years without buying a single book! But we quickly realized we were running into a minor problem. How can we print all those cool resources, organizers, worksheets--even the free ones--without going broke? Ink is SO EXPENSIVE! In fact, printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet. It's how printer companies make their money. And the high cost tends to make teachers and homeschool moms like me a little stressed out about what we have the freedom to print. There were a lot of grayscale pages printed those first couple years!
That has all changed now. About a month ago we bought a new printer that was eligible for HP Instant Ink.
When you sign up for instant ink, your printer is hooked up over the internet to HP, and they monitor your ink levels and the number of pages that you print. The great thing about this service is that you decide how many pages you want to print, and pay PER PAGE, not per ink cartridge. For example, I signed up for the 100-page-a-month plan, so I pay $5 a month for up to 100 pages, no matter how saturated the pages are! It was such a good deal, it was worth it to us to buy a new printer.
Also, since HP monitors my ink levels, they send a replacement cartridge before I even run out. Shipping cost is included. I will never run out of ink in the middle of a project again. Y'all, I'm obsessed with this idea!
It gets a little better, too. Even though I signed up for the 100-page plan, HP gave us a 3-month trial for free, and the trial is for up to 300 pages a month! I have been a full-color-printing maniac.
I have printed a business organizer, two recipe binders, and lots of full-color masterpieces for the art class that I teach. That first month, I was LOOKING for more things to print, instead of being intimidated by my printer and ink situation. It was liberating!
I know this system isn't for everyone, but for those who print a lot from home, it's gonna change your life! I'm going to save at least half of what I spent on ink last year, even with buying a new printer! If you're interested in checking HP Instant ink out for yourself, use our reference link, and HP will give you AND me an extra month of free ink!
The printer we got is all-in-one, prints beautifully, and is REALLY affordable--well under $100.
HP Envy 4520 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer with Mobile Printing, Instant Ink ready
And take it from me, you're gonna want to stock up on paper--we ran out in the first month!
