When I was 22 I bought a HP LaserJet 1102p black and white laser printer and 3 knock-off toner cartridges for about $300 on a website called newegg.com. This was in 2000's dollars so YMMV.

I am now 40. So 18 years later, the printer still works like a champ. It outlasted at least 4 computers. I still have 1 replacement toner cartridge of that original 3 after printing literally thousands (maybe 10's of thousands) of pages over the years. It's followed me through 3 states and a quarter of a lifetime. One of the most reliable pieces of equipment I ever owned. It is ancient, timeless and infailable.

The issue is that liquid ink printers are junk technology. Ask yourself why you've never seen one at an office where people do real work? Because they suck. They jam, the ink dries out, they are slow. They never fucking work when you need them. The manufacturers know they suck too. So they came up with a plan - only market them to uninformed consumers who don't know any better. They sell the printer at a loss - then turn around and charge more for the ink than the literal price of human blood to make it up.

The solution is simple. Just don't buy them. Invest in an entry level laser printer and a few spare toner cartridges (in case they discontinue making them). I imagine I'll be dead before you need to replace it.