What is the best cheap printer for people who rarely print?

If you rarely print, the safest budget choice is usually a basic monochrome laser printer. It’s generally a better fit for infrequent use because laser printers use toner, which is less sensitive to sitting around than liquid ink, and they tend to be less fussy if you only print occasionally.

A cheap inkjet can be a poor choice for rare printing because the ink and print heads may need more maintenance when the printer sits unused, which can waste ink and lead to frustrating print problems.

If you only need color once in a while, it may be cheaper and simpler to print somewhere else — for example at a library, print shop, or office supply store — rather than buy and maintain a low-cost color printer.