Hi Mary I was sorry to hear that the cartridges did not work well for you. That must have been frustrating. Ink usage generally determines how long a cartridge lasts. High-density prints (like images and graphs) use more ink especially if the paper is highly absorbent and the surrounding air is dry. Things that might help you to save money on ink: - Make use of the printer's draft mode whenever possible - Shut the printer down between uses. That can save ink and electricity - Always use the power button on the printer itself to turn it off. That gives it time to ‘park’ so that the cartridges are protected from excessive drying - Subscribe to Instant Ink then you only pay by the page not for the cartridges themselves If the poor performance appears to be due to a defective cartridge you can look into contacting the store you purchased it from and discuss that with them. Mary Chris HP Care hp.com/support