How to Save Money on Office Supplies

Office supplies can mean a number of things: paper, pencils, printer ink, stamps, office furniture and more!  Though the budget of a typical home or small business office may vary, the best methods for saving money are typically the same.  We’ll run down some of the top ways to save, regardless of your budget!

Join the Mega Chain Loyalty Programs

One of the best ways to save is to earn cash back on every purchase, which can be rolled into future purchases.  Most major office supply chains (including Office Max, Staples, and Office Depot) have some kind of savings program for small businesses and teachers that allow you to earn cash rewards by using your savings card or account. 

Office Depot will give you 10% back on ink, toner, paper and Copy & Print Depot purchases, plus 1% back on almost everything else.  You’ll also get $3 back for every ink or toner cartridge you recycle (limit of 5 per day.)  Rewards are paid out quarterly after you reach $10 in your account and come in the form of an Office Depot gift card.

Office Max rewards small businesses and teachers with its Max Perks program.  Earn a $25 gift card for every $500 in purchases made during a calendar year in the business program, and a $10 reward for every $75 earned annually in the teacher program.  Both programs are eligible for bonus Max Perks--which offer instant rewards for special purchases (the full price refunded for a case of paper, for example.)  Rewards are paid out quarterly, and come in the form of a gift card.

Staples has its own loyalty program, called Staples Rewards.  They will give you 10% back on your purchases of paper, ink and toner, and copy and print services.  In addition, you can get $3 per ink cartridge recycled at a Staples store, up to 10 per month.  Rewards are paid quarterly in the form of a gift card.

Take Advantage of Free-bates!

We love rebates, especially those that refund you the full purchase price of an item.  Check the weekly circulars from major office supply stores (like those mentioned above) to see what hot rebate offers they are offering. Many will require you to mail in a rebate form to receive a refund via check, and others will give you the rebate in the form of a credit to your loyalty card.  Either way, you end up paying little more than tax, and shipping (if applicable.)  Past free-bates have included entire cases of paper, boxes of envelopes, and Sharpie markers.  They are a great way to stock up your home office for little to nothing.

Use Smarter Printer Settings

Most of us are familiar with the various settings on our printers, but some are not.  The different settings allow you to print in color, strictly black and white, or even in a fast draft mode—which allows for the least amount of ink used per print job and is an economical choice. Use that mode whenever possible. If you’re doing print jobs for yourself (and no one important will see them), you may also consider installing a few eco-friendly fonts into your word processing program for even more ink savings.  Ecofont (www.ecofont.eu), for example, offers a “holey” version of the most commonly-used fonts, so you’ll use even less ink than before!

Buy Off-Brand Ink

Printer ink is often a large expense. In order to avoid the cost of spendy brand-name cartridges, some have been tempted to refill their own or buy generic brand cartridges instead.  Both of these can be effective ways to save some cash, but keep the following in mind:

Know what your printer cartridge looks and feels like.  The next time you install a new brand-name cartridge, take note of its size, shape, and how heavy it feels in your hand.  You can even snap a digital photo for reference later.  You’ll need this information when ordering ink from a supplier that offers offbrand ink cartridges. You’ll want to make sure that the cartridge you get is indeed the same type as your brand-name ink.  Some customers have reported that even though the model number on the replacement matched the one printed on their current cartridge, the cartridge didn’t fit.  A visual reference can help you determine if you were indeed sent the wrong kind.

It’s also a good idea to understand your printer’s warranty.  Many companies will not be responsible for printer repairs or replacement under the warranty if you’ve used off-brand ink cartridges or refill kits even once.  Your best bet is to wait until your warranty expires before making the switch to off-brand.

Get Free Software

There’s no need to always spring for expensive computer software when there are so many free options available.  In addition to shareware and freeware for your virus and spyware protection, you can find open source solutions to the document programs you use every day (word processing, spreadsheet, and database.)  For some of the best free software offerings, visit CNET’s download site.  In addition to seeing the hottest software downloads for the day, you’ll get user tips and reviews to see if they are right for you-- before you download them. 

Giveawayoftheday.com offers one free software download every 24 hours, and regularly gives visitors free versions of screen savers, media software, virus protection, and file sharing tools.

Reuse and Recycle

Not only is reusing and recycling eco-chic, it’s super frugal!  Use both sides of your paper when you can, repurpose old envelopes to file away important receipts, and shred used print jobs to use as packing material.  There’s no end to the ways that you can get new life from an old cardboard box or used bubble mailer.  Just use your imagination, and watch your savings grow!

As always, you can send us your questions, comments, and tips to dealista@quickanddirtytips.com or call 206-426-1615.  We’re also on Facebook under “The Dealista!”