Save a bundle with smart printing habits

If you are looking to cut a chunk out of your technology expenses than the quickest way to save money and be environmentally friendly is to carefully monitor what you are printing. Lifehacker has a great roundup of ways to cut down on how much you print. Before you scoff this off as yet another "stop buying a latte" methods of saving, take note that ink costs roughly $2,701 per gallon and doesn't require that you lower your intake of any addictive substances!

You don't need to throw your printer out to save money, thanks to technology there are many ways to save money by printing only what you really need. My favorites from the list of ink saving include printing only the selection you need, which comes in especially useful if you handle a lot of excel spreadsheets. Another of my favorite methods is to print to a PDF rather than using up ink and paper. Setting up a PDF printer is easy and free and doubles as a great way to track your online purchases. I keep a folder on my computer with receipts and warranty information stored as PDFs that way I can easily find the information when I need it.

Even if you consider yourself a master of technology this list has some great new ways to track and reduce your printing. Reducing your printing is an easy way to save money; even if you only save 2 reams of paper and a set of ink refills by changing your printing habits you'll have easily saved $50. If you happen to be a small business owner trimming your printing down is a quick way to cut office supplies, waste removal and likely storage since you'll be inclined to keep that paper in a box, in a closet somewhere for the next 5 years.

What is your favorite way to cut back on printing unneeded pages?