As teachers, it's just basically expected and accepted that we WILL spend some of our own money for classroom resources.
Wait - scratch that.
We will spend a LOOOOOT of our money for our classroom.
I can't think of another job where you take more of your paycheck and invest it right back into your job. I guess teachers are just extra special that way :)
The biggest money pit for me? Colored copies. My school did not have a colored printer, so any centers, games, and classroom decor that I wanted printed out in color was all on me. I don't even want to know how much money I've spent over the years going in to Staples paying $0.69 per page of colored copies. Astronomical. Not to mention what a pain it was to drive there every time I needed something printed.
Well - NO MORE. I found the Holy Grail of colored copies. I now pay only $4.99 a month for up to 100 pages of colored copies. That is a FAR cry from what I was paying before.
Behold:
The HP Instant Ink Program (affiliate link)
I mean, have you heard of this? If you haven't, then get ready to be excited.
WHAT IS THE HP INSTANT INK PROGRAM?
The HP Instant Ink Program is a monthly subscription service that provides you with colored copies printed right from your home printer, when you need it. No more driving to an office supply store to make your copies!
The program will send you fresh ink cartridges as you need them, BEFORE you run out of it. They will keep track of when your ink is getting low (through your internet connection) and mail out new cartridges right away.
Check out this quick explanation with all the details about the program:
HOW DOES THE HP INSTANK INK PROGRAM WORK?
It's sooooo easy. Like, too easy.
1. Purchase an eligible HP printer. I purchased this one (affiliate link). It was less than $100 and it works perfectly and prints great quality. Nothing fancy - just perfect for what I need it for. If you already own an HP printer, you can check to see if it is eligible when you sign up and skip this part of the process all together. I seriously just went in to Best Buy and purchased one of the cheapest printers they had in stock and I am very happy with it!
2. Decide on a printing plan that will meet your needs. The program offers 3 subscription options:
Since I'm not in the classroom right now I decided on the $4.99 a month. I felt that 100 pages would be enough for me to print out pages of my TpT resources to test them out for you all. I know several full time classroom teachers that use the $9.99 plan since they do a lot more printing. I love how if you go over, it's only $1 for 20 more pages! That's less than the cost of 2 pages printed at Staples! You can also roll over pages, so you don't miss out on unused pages if you have some months where you print less than your plan allows.
3. Once you decide on a plan and sign up, your ink will be mailed to you. When you purchase the printer, it will come with some starter ink, so you can get started right away, but your actual subscription will begin when you install the ink that is sent to you. I was so excited when I got my printer set up, that I went a little print-happy and used up my starter ink in one day :) Ha! But the ink cartridges that are sent to you last a LONG time, since they have more ink in them than the starter cartridges.
4. When your ink begins to get low, your printer will indicate to HP that they need to send you more. That way, you won't run out of ink mid-project. So print away, my friend :) Honestly - when I heard about this program I thought "Why I am just hearing about this now?" I feel like its the best kept secret that many teachers are unaware of and I'm making it my mission to shout it out from the roof tops! If you think that this service will rock your socks as much as it did mine, you can sign up and get your first month free here (affiliate link). Now my only problem is to decide on what I will print next :)