A printer’s price tag is only part of its cost. With heavy usage, the cost of ink and paper can exceed the price of an inkjet printer in just a year or two. To compare the cost of two models, see how they stack up for total cost of ownership--the purchase price plus the cost of consumables.

Here’s an example: On the face of it, a $90 printer seems like a better buy than a $140 model, saving you $50. But say printing an 8x10-inch color photo with the “cheaper” unit costs $1.30, 20 cents more than on the pricier printer. Once you’ve printed 250 8x10-inch color photographs, that 20-cents-per-photo premium has offset the $50 savings on the printer’s cost. Both printers will have cost you $415 total: the purchase price plus the cost per photo. If you print more than that, the $90 model actually becomes more costly.