Blue_Speed3D printing is an amazing hobby that you love, but it can get expensive, especially with filament that you have to buy every time you run out. Then there's the $300-$1,000 3D printer you might need to buy if you want a quality printer.
This blog is here to help you save a few cents or a few dollars every time you print. Over time, those savings can add up and may save you a pretty big chunk of change.
1. Buy Filament From a Different Company
Just because you have a Bambu Lab 3D printer doesn't mean you have to use Bambu Lab filament.
You can buy filament from other companies, and it can be significantly cheaper. You might get slightly different quality depending on the brand, but for everyday prints, cheaper filament can often work perfectly fine.
Amazon is especially useful for finding cheaper PLA. For example, black and white PLA can sometimes be found for less than other colors. Meanwhile, on Bambu Lab's official store, many of their PLA options are around the same price per roll.
So if you only need one or two rolls, it can be worth comparing prices from other filament brands before buying.
Just remember to make sure the filament is compatible with your printer and check reviews before buying.
2. Buy Filament in Bulk
If you 3D print regularly, you are going to go through a lot of filament. This is where buying in bulk can save you money.
When you buy more filament at once, companies can often offer a lower price per roll. For example, one 1 kg roll of Bambu Lab PLA may cost $19.99, while buying a larger quantity can bring the price down to around $15.16 per roll.
If you bought 6 rolls at $15.16 each:
6 × $15.16 = $90.96
That's $90.96 total, instead of $119.94 if you bought six rolls individually at $19.99 each.
That means you would save $28.98 just by buying in bulk.
However, don't bulk-buy filament just because the price per roll is lower. Only do it if you know you will actually use the filament. Otherwise, you could end up spending more money upfront and having rolls sitting around for months.
3. Compare Prices Before Buying a Printer
You can also save money on the 3D printer itself. Before buying, check the price at a few different places, such as the manufacturer's official store, Amazon, and local stores.
A lot of the time, the official store or a local store may have the better deal, but prices can change. For example, as of August 31, 2026, the U1 is cheaper on Amazon than on the official store.
So it doesn't hurt to check!
You should also consider shipping costs. A printer might look cheaper online, but after adding shipping, the total price could be higher. A local store can sometimes save you money because you can pick up the printer yourself instead of paying for shipping.
Before buying a printer, compare:
- The manufacturer's official store
- Amazon
- Local stores
- Shipping costs
- Current sales and discounts
Taking a few minutes to compare prices could save you a good amount of money on a printer that costs hundreds of dollars. Our printer comparison tool is a good place to start if you're weighing a few models against each other.
4. Use Promo Codes
Anycubic, bless their hearts, gives creators a reason to support their brand. If you are accepted into Anycubic's affiliate program, you can get special coupon codes to share with your audience.
For me, my code is PRINTMATCH15. I believe my code requires you to purchase a 3D printer, but I'm not completely sure if it works on filament or other products. If you are buying an Anycubic 3D printer, definitely try it at checkout.
It gives you $15 off, and I get a 5% commission from qualifying purchases.
So if you use my code, you save money and help support PrintMatch at the same time. Thank you to everyone who supports me!
My code works for both U.S. and EU customers, but keep in mind that promo codes can have restrictions. I recommend checking the discount at checkout to make sure your specific order qualifies.
There are other ways to find promo codes too. Sometimes when a YouTuber or other creator gets sponsored by a 3D printing company, they may receive a special discount code that you can use.
Before buying anything, it is always worth checking if there is a working promo code. Even a $10 or $15 discount can make a difference.
5. Check If You Can 3D Print It
You bought a 3D printer, so why not use it?
If you need something that can be 3D printed and you don't mind the downsides, then why not print it yourself? You can save money while also making something exactly how you want it.
For example, instead of buying a basic phone stand, you could print a cool custom one. Need somewhere to put your keys? You can print a key holder. There are thousands of useful things you can make with a 3D printer.
However, 3D printing isn't always the best option. Some things are cheaper or better to buy, especially if they require a lot of filament, take a long time to print, or need to be extremely strong or durable.
Before you buy something, take a few seconds to ask yourself:
"Can I 3D print this?"
If the answer is yes, compare the cost and quality of printing it yourself with buying it. You might be surprised by how often 3D printing can save you money.
6. Lower Your Infill
This is one of the most underrated ways to save filament.
You might think that more infill automatically makes a print stronger, and technically, that is true. However, there are diminishing returns. Increasing infill from 10% to 20% doesn't necessarily make your print twice as strong.
For many prints, you can make 5-10% infill your default and still have plenty of strength. Some models can even work with 0% infill, depending on their design and what you are using them for.
If you need more strength, try increasing the number of walls instead. Adding walls can make a print stronger without filling the entire inside with more infill.
This won't work for every print. Functional parts, structural pieces, and objects that will experience a lot of force may need more infill or a different print setup. But for things like toys, decorations, and many everyday objects, lower infill can work very well.
The best part is that lower infill can save filament and reduce print time.
And when you're trying to save money on 3D printing, saving filament and print time is what counts.
7. Don't Overpay for Glue Sticks
If you're printing something that needs a glue stick and you think you need a special, expensive 3D-printing glue stick, you might be wrong.
If you're mostly printing PLA, PETG, ABS, or ASA, you probably won't need glue very often, depending on your build plate and print. And if you only print PC once in a while, you probably don't need to buy an expensive specialized glue just for it.
For the times you do need glue, a basic glue stick from your local dollar store can work for many common situations. You don't necessarily need to spend extra money on a glue stick specifically marketed for 3D printing.
Of course, this depends on your printer, build plate, filament, and the specific print. Some materials and situations can require specialized adhesives.
Before buying an expensive 3D-printing glue, try a cheaper option first and see if it works for your setup. You could save money on something you might barely use.
8. Think About the Orientation of Your Print
The orientation of your print can make a bigger difference than you might think. It can save you print time, reduce the amount of supports you need, and even help prevent failed prints.
For example, let's say you're printing a box with a flat base. You would normally want the flat base facing the build plate. This gives the print a good foundation and can reduce the need for supports.
Learning how to properly orient your parts is a very important skill in 3D printing. Sometimes simply rotating a model can turn a long, complicated print into a faster and easier one.
There is a lot more to learn about print orientation, and I'll have a full blog about it soon. But for now, remember to always think about how you are placing your model before pressing print.
9. Recycle Your Filament Waste
Okay, this one might not save everyone money, but I'm running out of ideas, so we're going with it.
Some recycling centers and filament recycling programs accept 3D printing waste, and some may even offer money or rewards for it. If you have access to one of these programs, that's a double win: you can potentially get some money back while also keeping plastic out of the trash.
However, not every recycling center accepts 3D printing waste, and even fewer will actually pay you for it. It depends on where you live and what programs are available.
Even if you don't get paid, recycling your filament waste can still be worthwhile if you have a convenient recycling option available. It's better to look for a way to reuse or recycle your waste than to simply throw it away.
I talk more about this in my other blogs, "The Best (and Worst) Ways to Recycle Your 3D Printing Waste" and "Is Recycling PLA Worth It? A Realistic Look."
10. Print More Than One Thing at Once
If you need to print multiple things, try printing them at the same time instead of starting a separate print for each one.
This is especially useful with modern multi-color printers. When you start a print, the printer may need to heat up, prepare the bed, purge filament, and go through other preparation steps. Doing this once for several objects can save both time and filament compared with starting several separate prints.
For example, if you need four small parts, printing all four together can be more efficient than running four separate prints. You only have to go through the startup and preparation process once.
This doesn't always mean the print will finish faster, especially if one part fails and affects the others. But when you're printing several small objects, putting them on the same build plate can be a great way to save time and reduce wasted filament.
Sometimes the easiest way to save money is simply to get more out of every print you run.
Conclusion
So, this probably isn't going to save you tons of money overnight. But bit by bit, you can save quite a bit without even realizing it.
And that's what matters in the end. Small savings can turn into big savings over time.