Save Money on College Text Books
College text books are a source of frustration and great expense for many students and parents. We currently have one kid taking college classes and are appalled at what the bookstores are charging for text books.
For years we've done the research using ISBN numbers and edition numbers to find used books through Half.com, Ebay and Amazon. We've racked up some significant savings — sometimes saving 90 percent over the new price at the bookstores.
Just recently we received this tip and think it's great. Even if we get a great deal on a text book, we still have to either sell it at the end of the semester or store it or give it away. It's another hassle. Renting text books is a great solution — and with prices as low as $35 for a semester for a book that sells for $125 it's a bargain (this was a real life example for a Meteorology text book this year). Just know that there may still be some situation where it will be better to buy the book, but renting is a great option to consider.
DON’T BUY TEXT BOOKS (1.09)
Hi! I'm a poor college student who really can't afford to spend a lot of money on textbooks. I found this really neat website called Chegg.com which allows you to "rent" your textbooks for the semester for about 1/3 the price of buying it. This is a great option for liberal studies textbooks you “know” you'll never pick up again after the class is over!
Leah Shanker — USA
Hi! I'm a poor college student who really can't afford to spend a lot of money on textbooks. I found this really neat website called Chegg.com which allows you to "rent" your textbooks for the semester for about 1/3 the price of buying it. This is a great option for liberal studies textbooks you “know” you'll never pick up again after the class is over!
Leah Shanker — USA
In theory the rental option is perfect; however,check out reviews of the company before you rent! I have had the WORST experience with Chegg.com. The textbook never arrived; they couldn't track the shipment; they tried to charge me anyway; customer service was not helpful. Sounds like this is typical of Chegg.com. Maybe make money starting your own rental business?
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We have heard mostly good things about Chegg (yes, a few bad experiences too). Your input is valuable and serves as a reminder to take notes (date, persons name and what they promised) when you encounter a problem with any company. Working your way up the ladder from customer service, to supervisor to director will do much to quickly resolve most problems.
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Always check out your local library as well as any school libraries. These are usually FREE options or minimal fee if overdue charges are incurred (but usually still less than the retail value of the book). They may not have the super up-to-date versions of the textbooks, so check with your professor if that will be a problem (sometimes only a few paragraphs have been "updated" in the new version, silly to pay full price for a few new paragraphs). If nothing else, use the library for all those reading novels needed for English class. Hope this helps!
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