Saving Money: Office Supplies

Again, for those of you not interested in couponing, feel free to come back next time.

I've been saving money in an usual place lately: Staples.

In the past four months I have gotten four 20-packs of AA/AAA batteries for free*, free tape, four free realms of paper and a high-quality Cannon wireless 4-in-1 printer for $50.  I can buy ink for this printer online and get points for it from Swagbucks (see button at the top right of my blog and yes, if you join using that link it will give me points, so thanks) and have it shipped free to the store that is right down the street from David's job.

*Free in some cases means getting rewards dollars to be spent by a certain date (usually 3 months) at Staples either online or in store.  Since they have about the same price on ink as stores like Walmart, we save the rewards up and buy ink.  Some free items, like the paper, are from online rebate forms with checks mailed out in 4-6 weeks.  Some things are just flat out free when sale prices are combined with coupons, such as rolls of Scotch tape.

Staples gives you a $50 credit to recycle your old printer and $2 for ink cartridges.  (Huzzah for helping reduce the waste stream and saving money!)  Since we paid nothing for our old printer (there is a reason why that Lexmark was free... never get one of those ink hogs) it made the sale price for the printer we really wanted right for our budget.

So there is your money-saving tip for the day.  I hear tiny voices from wallets thanking me already. :)