what's a good, fair, rate for average cost of B&W laser printing?

[Trouble]

clay wrote:
[quote=Trouble]
Two cents for 200 pages? Are you really considering giving your dad $4?

Either consider it a gift or take over a pizza when you go to print.

I know we're not talking about a large quantity or significant expense for either party involved, I just like to be fair when I'm asking to use someone else's equipment--whether it belongs to my father, or a complete stranger.
I understand but the cost is so little that the choices are either a "thank you" or way more than what it is worth to effectively say thank you. There really is no way to pay that little of a cost in money without looking like a cheapskate. "Thanks dude, here is your $4" It just doesn't sound right. Like borrowing someone's truck. Either it is a "thank you" or you fill up the tank no matter the mileage.

Never offer $4. If it is worth it to you, then buy him a pizza or pick up a couple pizzas for the office.

[Janit]

Bring your own ream of paper to use -- that makes you seem considerate rather than just cheap. Then top it off with a snack for your Dad/his staff.

[Jack D.]

Janit wrote:
Bring your own ream of paper to use -- that makes you seem considerate rather than just cheap. Then top it off with a snack for your Dad/his staff.

Beer. You can never go wrong with the gift of beer.

[timg]

Jack D. wrote:
[quote=Janit]
Bring your own ream of paper to use -- that makes you seem considerate rather than just cheap. Then top it off with a snack for your Dad/his staff.

Beer. You can never go wrong with the gift of beer.
Yes, better to just stick with the booze. Mom might not like it if you included the hookers too.

[JoeH]

Last time I priced out laser printing by totalling up supplies' costs and the like, it came to about 3-4 cents per page. That was for the paper and printing on one side on a printer with large capacity toner cartridges. I would guess that if father's office printer fits that description, the 7 cents to print both sides of standard letter paper sounds about right. I forget how many pages I used for the estimated life of the printer.

[Paul F.]

Trouble wrote:

I understand but the cost is so little that the choices are either a "thank you" or way more than what it is worth to effectively say thank you. There really is no way to pay that little of a cost in money without looking like a cheapskate. "Thanks dude, here is your $4" It just doesn't sound right. Like borrowing someone's truck. Either it is a "thank you" or you fill up the tank no matter the mileage.

Never offer $4. If it is worth it to you, then buy him a pizza or pick up a couple pizzas for the office.

I was going to do the math for a reasonable "offer" but Trouble's point of view is pretty persuasive... there's some wisdom there, I think.

timg wrote:

Yes, better to just stick with the booze. Mom might not like it if you included the hookers too.

What happens in the copy room, stays in the copy room....
:boink:

[space-time]

clay,

how about getting a small and cheap laser printer for such needs in the future? if you watch the deal sites you should be able to get a basic laser printer for $50 or less. That is no scanner, no network, no duplex, but if you use it once in a while, who cares. The nice thing about laser printers is that the toner doesn't "dry" like ink in inkjets, you can keep a laser printer unused for maybe 10 years and then fire it up and print

I know since I got a 15 year old AppleWriter basically unused and the toner was just fine.

just my 2 cents

[clay]

thanks, all, for your suggestions. I've finished printing all the copies. I'm going to pay for the copies (gonna do $20) and give my parents free admission to the concert. My dad would have just given me the copies for free, but I'm going to pay.

I do have a brother 2170 at home, but I figured a higher-volume rated printer might handle the job a little more quickly.

It's done. the end.