by Are you short on cash? (I realize this is a stupid question.) You are trying to figure out how you are going to be able to buy all of the textbooks for the upcoming semester. Trying to find a way to balance your limited budget by developing new economic theories?
If this is the case, you are probably not making use of the very best and most effective method there is to acquire your textbooks at a low cost, and when I say low cost, I mean truly low cost.
Do your research and shopping online. That sums it up nicely. That right there is the key. I’ve compiled a list of the top ten things to keep in mind while shopping for textbooks online so that you can make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
1. Start saving early. You shouldn’t wait until the first day of courses to go and look for the books you need to bring to your classes. At that point, there is an increase in demand, which in turn leads to an inevitable increase in pricing. The amount of effort required to obtain the greatest deals on textbooks is significantly higher during this little period of time compared to the amount of effort required just a few of weeks before. Textbooks sell like hotcakes during this brief time period.
Don’t lose hope if the institution or university you attend doesn’t provide the lists of required textbooks in advance; instead, get in touch with former students of the class you wish to take, or even the professors themselves, and inquire about the titles of the books you should purchase. That itty-bitty bit of extra effort will unquestionably be well worth it to you.
2. Make your purchases utilized. Used textbooks are sold at a lower price than new ones. That is a fact that cannot be refuted. When compared to the list costs, it is not rare to find savings that are greater than $50.
3. Consider older editions. Books on traditional subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics tend to remain essentially unchanged for years at a time. You may be able to find books for as little as one dollar if you are willing to make use of outdated editions. Are you unsure as to whether or not the International Edition will suffice? Get in touch with the instructor of your class and inquire. There is a good chance that he may propose an older book.
4. Editions published in other countries. A textbook is considered to be an International Edition if it has been published in a country other than the United States of America or Canada and if it is intended to be sold and utilized in countries other than the United States of America or Canada. In most cases, the price of international editions is far lower than that of their American or Canadian equivalents. The catch is that, in general, the publishers of International Editions do not grant permission for the sale and distribution of International Editions in the United States and Canada, and the sale or distribution of such works may infringe upon the copyrights and trademarks held by the publishers of the works in question.
5. To increase the efficiency of your searches, remember to include the ISBN number. If you search for a book using its ISBN rather than its author and/or title, your results will be both faster and more accurate. ISBNs have been assigned to every book that has been published since 1970.
Free delivery is included. When you are doing your shopping, keep an eye out for retailers that provide free shipping. In spite of the fact that the cost of shipping within the United States is typically less than $4, or possibly even as a result of it, an increasing number of vendors are eager to provide free delivery to potential consumers in the hopes of converting them into paying customers. This is about equivalent to an additional discount of 10 percent off a book that costs $40 or a discount of 5 percent off a book that costs $80.
7. Do your research. I am fully aware that you are already aware of that, but just in case you arrived on this planet from another planet 10 minutes ago, allow me to reiterate it for you. Before making a final decision, it is recommended that you get pricing quotes from a minimum of three different vendors. Visit Bookfinder.com in order to make a side-by-side comparison of several online bookstores. You can go to Abebooks.com, which is the largest marketplace for books, to make comparisons between the offerings of thousands of bookstores located all over the world.
8. Buy local. Before you complete the transaction, it is important to ascertain the physical location of the bookseller you will be purchasing from. The closer you are to one another, the better, as this will save the cost of shipping, make the world a happier and greener place, and your town will most definitely value the additional revenue.
9. When you are done with your previous textbooks, consider selling them back to the bookstore. Simply navigate to the website of the online bookstore from which you purchased your books and check for information regarding the buyback program offered there. There is a good chance that the bookseller will be eager to buy them back. In most cases, there is no cost associated with shipping the books, and payment is sent as soon as they are received. This one very much sells itself, don’t you think?
10. Show proper respect for your texts. You shouldn’t use them as umbrellas, and you definitely shouldn’t try to kill the enormous spider that suddenly appeared in the bathtub. You shouldn’t scribble the name of your romantic interest all over it along with little hearts, and you shouldn’t use it as a canvas when you get the urge to express yourself creatively. Keep in mind that you may wish to sell them at a later time, and that the higher the book’s rating on the condition scale, the more money you will earn for it.
If you put these suggestions into practice, I can promise you that not only will you have more money in your pockets, but you will also have more time on your hands and, of course, the joy of having finally entered the 21st century.
When you shop online, you’ll never want to leave.
