Printer ink cartridges are so expensive most people ration their ink and use as little as possible. Printer manufactures have now placed chips in the ink cartridges that expire. So even if you have rationed your ink and used as little as possible you are going to have to go buy new ink cartridges when the current ones expire even if they are full of ink. However, there are replacement cartridges available that have non-expiring chips in them. You can refill them as often as you need to with affordable ink refill kits. The ink used in refill kits these days are high quality inks and will print just as good if not better than the manufacturers inks. You can have a basically endless supply of ink if you use a continuous ink system which constantly feeds ink to your printer. With a CIS you will refill your cartridges less. One CIS is equal to 61 cartridges of each color for about the same price as 1 black cartridge! The savings will pile up.