Here Are Some Strategies to Cut That Textbook Bill in Half:
1. Find the Cheapest Textbook Retailers: On my website, HelpSaveMyDollars.com, I have a free textbook search engine (HelpSaveMyDollars.com/Textbooks), which compares prices from over fifty different retailers, including those that do textbook rentals. I rented an accounting textbook for $53 that would have cost over $200 to purchase—not bad for a few minutes of work.
2. Buy Used Textbooks: I saved nearly $200 by purchasing used textbooks. Check out eBay’s Half.com to search for used books.
3. Rent Textbooks: Once the class is over, you don’t need the textbook anymore. Visit Chegg.com to rent textbooks. Instead of buying a $100 book, you could rent it for $30–$40.
4. Sell Your Textbooks: At the end of the semester, sell your textbooks online to recover some of the cost of buying them.
You can even sell your textbooks back to Amazon.com, which will buy them for up to 70 percent of their value and give you an Amazon.com gift card for the amount.
Hey, Amazon gift cards are as good as cash these days!
5. Trade Books with Other Students: You may not need your history textbook from last semester, but plenty of other students probably do. Use TextSwap.com to trade books with other students.
6. International Editions: You can sometimes save over 70 percent by purchasing the international version of a textbook. Visit TextbooksRus.com to search for international editions.
Also, try to find out exactly why you’ll need the textbook. In my calculus class during freshman year, I only needed the book for homework problems, so I shared it with a friend and we split the price. You may have to wait a few classes to see what role the textbook will play.
And if you’re in a bind and simply cannot afford a textbook, explain your situation to your professor to see if there is an extra copy available that could be loaned to you (or you can check your school’s library!).
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment