[gambiting]

People who need to print something now and reason with themselves that it's cheaper to buy a basic £29 HP printer because obviously they might need to print something again in the future(at which point the ink has long dried and new replacement is £39 for a cartridge).

[ndsipa_pomu]

I'm convinced that laser printers are the answer. Colour ones are now more or less affordable and last for many years and of course they have no issue with ink drying out.

[gambiting]

Yes but it's harder to justify even a basic laser printer at around £99 when all you need to do is print some forms. A £29 printer which might be useful in the future is more appealing psychologically(somehow).

[vidarh]

There are print on demand options down to single page single copy documents cheap enough I probably won't replace my printer next time as my printing need is now so infrequent. Only issue I've seen is that few of them seem to offer immediate courier service. Many will offer same day, though, and I'm sure most others could arrange a courier if you go through the hassle of calling.