Cost-Effective Supplies for Printable Projects

I am always downloading free printables. Whether it be recipe cards, cooking conversion charts, and cupcake cake templates to use when creating my gluten-free recipes or meal and menu planners to help me stay organized, printables are a necessity in our home. So today I wanted to share some of my cost-effective supplies for printable projects as well as online links to where you can find them.

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Printer:

When it comes to finding affordable supplies for printable projects, printing at home provides the best value for your money. The Brother Wireless Color Laser Printer is the one I use to achieve high-quality prints. It’s an at-home printer that is well-suited for printing various types of documents.

It’s a full-function, full-color device that I’ve been using for several years! It’s great for printing, copying, and faxing, and here are some other reasons why I like it:

It’s wireless! I can use it from anywhere in the house. My computer is upstairs and the printer is downstairs in my husband’s office so wireless is a necessity in our house.
We can use it from any of our devices.
It is suitable for printing color graphics or black-and-white text and outlines. I usually always print in black and white unless it is a recipe I am keeping for reference in my binder, then I will print it in color.
It minimizes waste. As a laser printer, it is a little pricier than the inkjet printers on the market, but it is worth it as I don’t have to constantly replace dried-up ink or replace the printer because inkjets are no longer working.
A great long-term cost consideration. Investing in a higher-quality printer upfront saves me money and frustration in the long run. It’s ready when I need it!

I have never had an issue with this printer. I can go away for several weeks, come back and it prints perfectly!

loading paper into at home office printer for a cost-effective printable project

You deserve to have print-at-home resources like worksheets, planners, and calendars with the best results even if you are on a budget.

Printer Ink

The Brother Wireless Color Laser Printer has toner cartridges that come in two sizes: a standard yield size and a higher yield size.

When I first started using this printer, I found the standard yield toner cartridges were great for most of our print-out materials. They last a long time and come in a four pack which makes them a better value for the money.

As I started printing more, I switched to these high-yield toner cartridges. They last us over a year which is a great long-term cost consideration when trying to be efficient with spending.

Paper

There are so many paper types to choose from. Different weights, textures, and finishes of the paper may make it difficult to know what type is best for printing different types of printables.

I like using this Amazon basic multipurpose paper for most of my projects. It is a wallet-friendly paper option that is widely available and versatile enough that it can be used for many paper crafts and activities. It also works well for both color and black-and-white printing. I use it for food journals, templates, coloring pages, free printables, and grocery lists.

I also keep some of this well-priced premium paper on hand for printing custom flyers, recipe cards, food labels, and greeting cards.

Here’s a tip for being even more cost-conscious: take advantage of buying in bulk, store discounts, sales, and promotions!

Storage and organization of printables:

Here are a variety of inexpensive storage options I use to organize my paper-based content. They protect my printables to prevent damage and waste which is money-saving in the long run.

1-inch 3-ring binders are my favorite way to keep recipes and templates organized.
I use these alphabet dividers and index dividers to organize and label them.

organizing printable projects into a binder

Color file folders like these are the ones I use for organization. They are paper which I like better than plastic as they can be recycled when I am done with them.

cost effective file folders in a file cabinet

These Duotang folders are the ones that I use when traveling as they’re durable and easy to pack in a suitcase. I fill them with my free travel tip printables.
In my home office, I use this adjustable storage shelf with compartments. I’ve had it for many years and find that it comes in handy when I move things around. It also allows me to store extra paper and printer cartridges too!

It’s important to have the best supplies when you are printing DIY documents.

More recommendations:

Here are a few more supplies I use in my home office to make managing my printables easier. They are also economical!

This 3-hole punch is used with the 3-ring binders that I use for filing.
These scissors are also a must-have for any home office.

Now that you are all set with the best cost-effective supplies for your printables, it’s time to get creative! Want more resources? Be sure to check out my printables library!