Hmm ... on the count of going for ink and out with a printer, I once went to buy kitty litter, last minute, before a party, and came home with a puppy.
Yes, once your printer achieves a certain age, it can be cheaper to buy a printer than the ink.
I've never used them, but there are places that will take your cartridge and refill it, recycling them (in other words, if they have one of yours, you hand your empty in and buy one of their full ones. They inject ink into yours and sell it to the next guy who brings in your model). I understand they're very reasonable. I've never used one because (a) I don't print enough for the expense to be a huge issues for me and (b) the place isn't near anyplace I go regularly. But it might be worth looking into.
And yes, I once did buy a new printer because my ink cartridges had gotten to be so expensive, AND they had to be special ordered.