When we think of expensive liquids, we might think of Dom Perignon Champagne or an exclusive brand of designer perfume. But did you know that there's something else that might be sitting around your house that can cost upto seven times per ounce as that bottle of Dom? It's the ink in your inkjet cartridge. And if you've tried to buy a replace cartridge recently you know exactly what I mean.

I have paid $50 for a cartridge for my color printer - which is outrageous, considering a brand-new brand-name printer can be bought for around $100 (or less). A friend of mine saw a printer on sale for $40 (after a $50 rebate), but its replace cartridge was $50!

So how did we come to this sorry state? By inkjet printers becoming so cheap that the printer companies decided to make their money on higher-margin cartridge replacements. Some are programmed, thanks to so-called "smart chips," to tell you they are empty, even when they still have almost a third of ink left in them.

So you might want to do your own refilling at home. There are several brands that do this. One that I have tested and liked is the Polaroid Inkjet Refill Systems, that are made for Polaroid by a company called InkJet Innovations. The prices range from $19.99 for six refills to $29.99 for 20 refills. To calculate how much you might save, it's not just, say, $50 for the manufacturer's replacement versus $20 for the Polaroid brand; it's $50 times six refills versus $20 for six refills - so you could be saving more than $200.

Of course, refilling at home is not for everyone. It's intimidating, but if it takes you 20 minutes the first time, it should be a breeze the next time around. It all depends what your time is worth. I'd suggest trying it once; if you aren't happy with the experience, then you can always go back to the pricier, safer, route.

The Polaroid systems are not sold online, but in retails outlets. In the NY area, look for them in Duane Reade, Datavision, Adorama, Circuit City, BJ's Wholesale Club and other stores. They are also sold on television, on QVC.

Resources:
Learn about inkjet cartridges at
http://www.inkjet-cartridges.net/inkjet_cartridges.htm

Learn how inkjet printing works at
http://www.howstuffworks.com/inkjet-printer.htm

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