As a home office worker in Australia, you've got enough things to worry about spending money on without having to stress about your printing expenses too. Well, the good news here is there are plenty of practical ways to reduce your spending on printing, without cutting it out altogether. 

But where to start? These are our tried and tested steps for reducing home office printing costs.

Before you can cut printing costs, you need to understand them.

Step 1: Understand your costs

First, write up a budget of every dollar you spend on your printer per year. Make sure this list includes:

• Ink
• Paper
• Annual maintenance (e.g. parts replacement, IT call outs)
• Power usage

Even though it's harder to work out, don't skip adding maintenance and power usage to the list - you may find that these are two of your biggest budget eaters.

Step 2: Start making cuts

Rather than printing less, which we understand isn't always practical, try printing differently. For example, using "duplex" mode on your device will print each sheet double-sided, saving on paper costs. If you print A5 size, you could print two documents on one A4 sheet.

For those of you who have the right device, you could buy smarter ink, too. For example:

• XL ink cartridges cost more up front, but less over time. If you can print 1,900 pages with an Epson XL cartridge for just under $200, that's 10 cents per page. A 29 ml alternative from a competitor, averaging at 490 pages for about $100, is 20 cents per page - twice as expensive.
• Epson's EcoTank refill bottles are even better for the Aussie home office. You can pick a set up from stores like Officeworks and Harvey Norman for little more than $25 per bottle, and each replacement yields thousands of prints each. That should save you around 80 per cent on ink costs over time.

Step 3: Invest in a better printer

Finally, if you've drawn up a budget and made appropriate cuts but still find yourself spending too much, your printer is probably not right for you. In this instance, we recommend investing in a new home office device that suits your low-cost needs.

• Quick tip: Print more than one ream a month? Go for a business printer - they cost more at the outset, but are hyper fast and very reliable for large amounts of printing. Print less than one ream? Consider an eco-friendly home printer instead.

What can you get from a better printer?

• Cheaper ink: With the Epson EcoTank range, you can use our low-cost refill bottles. Or, with a Workforce printer, invest in Epson's XL cartridges.
• Low power usage: Epson's advanced inkjet printers are some of the most powerful on the market, but use barely as much electricity as a lightbulb. The Expression ET-3700, for instance, uses only 12 watts.
• Increased reliability: Modern inkjet printers from Epson are built to last. With a high degree of reliability and few parts that need replacing, you'll spend less on maintenance over time.

So, to truly slash printing costs in your home office, find your nearest Epson supplier and upgrade today.