Don’t you just hate it when your printer runs out of ink?  I do.

It’s not that I don’t like my printer, it’s the fact that the ink cartridges I have to buy are so expensive.  Having the unique perspective of having worked in the retail electronics industry for a number of years, I think I can explain why you pay so much for printer cartridges.

Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new razor, it’s generally at a cheaper cost than the actual razor blades?  Or have you noticed that many cell phone carriers are willing to just "give" you a free phone if you sign a contract for their service?

The same principle applies to ink cartridges.

Manufacturers will often sell you a brand new printer at their cost or even below cost.  Once they get you hooked on your brand new printer that you love just oh-so-much, you begin to see the small little trap they have set for you.

Most companies don’t include full cartridges in a new printer.  You start trucking along, printing out those pictures you snapped at Little Johnny’s last birthday party and then, you’re out of ink.

The rat race begins.  You’re off on a new adventure to your local big box retailer, specialty supplier, or the new mom and pop ink refill store that just opened up down the street.

No matter where you go, you’re faced with the fact that the ink cartridges you so desperately need to go in that super, ultra-cheap printer you bought two weeks ago are not so super ultra-cheap.  In fact, they’re incredibly expensive.  Expensive beyond belief.

Think about this:  You’re paying a few dollars per gallon for gas in your car.  A few dollars per gallon.  For roughly 7-10 milliliters of ink, you’re paying around $30.  That’s milliliters, folks.

For those of you that aren’t so swift on the conversions (and I’m one of them), one gallon equals approximately 3.79 liters.  And since there’s a thousand milliliters in a liter, that’s 3, 790 milliliters in one gallon (approximately).

So, for you to obtain one gallon of ink for your printer, you’d have to spend roughly $11, 370.

Folks, that’s one darn expensive liquid.

And the printer manufacturers want it that way.  They want you to come to the store and buy a new printer that has almost no ink in it and then have to rush back to buy some more of that liquid gold that they make a nearly 60% profit on.  That glorious, wonderful ink that we all so desperately need.  Think of all the pictures and homework assignments you’ll need to print out in just the next few months.

Think of how much money you’ll be spending.

Now think about how you can save a little bit of that money.

For the time being, we’re stuck with the system of ink refills that we have now.  Although there always seems to be some sort of investigation taking place of how printer companies seem to force consumers into buying overly expensive ink cartridges, there seems to be little end in sight now to the problem facing us all.

Thank goodness there are a few folks that are able to save us a little bit of money, like Ink Shop. Here’s a great site that can save you some bucks on your ink cartridges.

Face it, you’re going to need ink cartridges.  And they are expensive.  Save a little money, make it easy on your self.  Take advantage of great sites online link Ink Shop that can save you some money.

This is a sponsored review