Can't print in black/white because I do not have color ink....?

I want to know who in their right mind changed how printers are set up! I have not had a printer in years, I had no need for one...if I wanted pictures printed I just uploaded them and forwarded them to Walgreens and picked them up from there...easy. Well, now that I am in school I needed a printer. I like to print out my syllabus for the courses because I need to be able to write what needs done and when. Andrews dad told us he would get us a printed. I told Andrew that I want nothing fancy, I just want a printer...and if it wasn't too much money a wireless one would be great, but I wasn't picky. Shoot, I honestly didn't even care if it printed in color, I just needed one that printed black and white. Whatever. Well, he comes home from his dads with this professional series printer...I have no idea how to even set up. I honestly do not know how I actually did get it set up. Okay, fine...it copies, prints, faxes, whatever. The scanner on it does come in nice to scan in things and send them off for school...but the printer. Oh geesh, you have to buy each color separately. That means I need to go out and but black ink, blue, pink, and yellow. I can't even find where they sell them together, its like $20 per color. EEK! Okay, thats fine, I never print in color so the color ink will last. WRONG. Andrews dad needs pictures printed. When you buy a printer I guess they only give you starter ink which is like enough to print a few pictures. I go to print my stuff out for school and no color ink left! Nice! So I put it to "only use black ink". It still isnt coming out to where I can read it! By then I am fuming. I have black ink, why the fuck cant I print. So I GOOGLE...yes...I GOOGLE....and what does it say about this printer....I couldn't believe what I was reading. The printer will not print...even just using the black ink if the color inks are empty! WTF is that! I JUST WANNA PRINT STUFF FOR SCHOOL. I did not need a fancy shamcy printer...and I sure as hell am not going out and buying $60 worth of ink that is going to sit in there and not get used and dry up...just so I can use blank ink! It just does not make sense to me? Has anyone heard of such a thing!? Am I not hip enough to use a printer and things have changed so much in the 5 years since I have had a printer, so was it always this way and just never noticed?! I need help people because I seriously now do not know what to do. I guess I am going to have to suck it up and get this ink that I am not even going to use. I am half tempted to go out and just buy a cheap ass printer and kick this other one!