Buying printer ink

Anyone noticed just how expensive printer ink is? You have to either buy a $40 or so package of ink with black and color cartridges or buy two separate cartridges if you want long lasting both color and black and white ink on your printer. On top of this they separate the ink into so many brands that it can really become a pain in the neck shopping for ink.

Recently I ran out and went to Best Buy here in Chico to get some ink. I bought a color cartrige thinking it will also work with black and white and to no avail. I now bought another black and white cartridge and probably will need to purchase another color one because the one I bought might have been for a different printer.

Best Buy only had Deskjets 350 I believe which I thought would work for my Deskjet 3520. I am not sure if it is not working because I do not have another cartridge in there (beside the old one) or if it is because I bought the wrong ink. Either way I had to go to Target to get the 3520 version of the black and white one I also needed. There are just too many choices and brands of ink for all these printers and shopping for ink can be painful and expensive. It also doesn't seem to be a good excuse for professors who want essays turned in on time.