An Education in Saving on Textbooks -

Home
>
College & University
>
An Education in Saving on Textbooks

An Education in Saving on Textbooks

Every year students flock to the college bookstore to purchase the various textbooks that they require for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. As unbelievable as it may seem textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much, if not more, than tuition.

On the surface the college bookstore may seem like a convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually in-stock and students may purchase new textbooks or opt for the cheaper alternative of used books. In truth the money saved by purchasing used textbooks from the college bookstore is only a fraction of the amount that students could be saving if they shopped online.

More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at a considerable discount off of the cover price. In fact, many major booksellers now have special areas of their web sites that are devoted to selling nothing but textbooks. Online used bookstores are another source for college books as they stock a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. There are also web-based retailers whose inventory is entirely devoted to college books.

Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they browse. Instead, they should investigate the alternatives offered by other online booksellers. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also factor in shipping costs and delivery time when making their buying decision.

Online auctions are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredible bargains when obtaining books via online auctions. One downside is that established retailers have channels in place to ensure that you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time. With an auction purchase, however, you are at the mercy of the auction seller's timetable.

One way that students can really save is by obtaining books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. At this site students can peruse a vast collection of classics that have entered the public domain. In the past students seeking assistance with their studies had to pay for the privilege of that help by purchasing study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit Spark Notes for free downloadable study guides as well as free downloadable classics.

Students who elect to buy online will no longer be able to resell their books to the college bookstore at the end of class, but that doesn't mean that they are stuck with the textbooks. Many web sites that sell textbooks also offer students the option of selling their books to fellow bargain-seekers. This allows students to easily recouping a portion of their money.

Textbooks normally consume a major portion of a student's budget, but that doesn't have to be the case, because while the cost of tuition may be set in stone the price of textbooks isn't. By taking the time to do a little research on the best textbook values available college students can save money now rather than acquiring debt to be paid back later.

Heather Wallace is founder of http://www.BargainMartian.com Visit to take advantage of the out of this world bargains from leading merchants found in this comprehensive directory of deals, rebates, bargains, coupons, and money-saving offers.

In The News:

ACROSS OUR CLASSROOMS
SalemNews.net, OH - 10 hours ago
... or planning to attend, an Ohio college, university or vocational school; and be enrolled full-time in a program at a college or university, ...

E-mails reveal SA professor fantasized about students
Houston Chronicle, United States - 6 hours ago
AP SAN ANTONIO â€” A tenured University of Texas at San Antonio professor who was fired for viewing pornography on his work computer fantasized about his ...
UT professor's e-mails detail fantasies United Press International
all 25 news articles

MSN UK News
Bid to keep pupils eating healthily
The Press Association - 15 hours ago
Academics from London Metropolitan University mapped the movements of hundreds of pupils over a week. They reportedly found that just 6% ate hot meals, ...
Kevin Brennan: Lock school children in at lunchtime to stop them ... Telegraph.co.uk
calls for lunchtime lock-in at schools guardian.co.uk
Queues and cost defeat school meals The Press Association
all 214 news articles

Holy Names University celebrates 140 years of changing lives
Oakland Tribune, CA - 8 hours ago
... the most ethnically diverse university in the West. Bustos was the first in his family to go to college. He grew up in San Francisco's Mission district. ...

University of North Dakota to train pilots from India... | KXNet ...
KXMC, ND - 6 hours ago
The training will be at the flight school training center in Lumberton, North Carolina, that UND operates with Robeson Community College.
New UND president welcomed into position Bismarck Tribune
UND preparing for bigger DI budget Dickinson Press
all 13 news articles

The road home : University of Arkansas common theme in Gearhartâ€™s life
Northwest Arkansas Times, AR - 11 hours ago
... Westminster College in 1992, and the same year, was named a Fulbright Scholar and studied at Oxford University, Merton College, in Oxford, England. ...
Chancellor Changeover The Morning News
all 2 news articles

Compiled by Darlene Gein
Newsday, NY - 16 hours ago
... of arts degree in communications from Loyola College in Maryland. The groom earned a bachelor of arts degree in hospitality from Boston University. ...
Millett and McInroy Lawrence Journal World
all 2 news articles

College notes for July 6
Appleton Post Crescent, USA - 14 hours ago
Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa: Sarah McNutt and Jessica Morton, both Appleton, and Cayla Techlin, Little Chute. Drake University, Des Moines, ...

College Honors
al.com, AL - 7 hours ago
... and Candace D. Jenkins of Toxey have graduated from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss. At Huntingdon College, the Dean's List of High ...

And the greenest university is ... Gloucestershire
guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 3, 2008
They include the University of Bolton, Buckinghamshire New University, Goldsmiths College University of London and the University of Westminster.

college university - Google News

An Education in Saving on Textbooks

College & University