Are you looking to purchase textbooks for your college courses, but unsure of where to start looking? Many students make the mistake of buying them new, which leads to spending way more money than they have to on their books.
Fortunately, you have the opportunity to buy those same textbooks used, thus saving you a lot of cash to use towards the semester. There are several other benefits that come from purchasing your books used rather than buying them brand-new.
Be sure to read below for more benefits of buying used textbooks for your college classes. Consider all of these perks as you decide which route to take.
1. Lower Prices
You spend a fortune to receive a college education as-is. You’re forking over money for things like meals, classes, and tuition on a semester by semester basis.
While it should all pay off in the end though landing one’s dream job and starting your preferred career, that doesn’t help you in the short term. For now, you have to find ways of saving money on college supplies while in pursuit of a degree.
Fortunately, purchasing used textbooks can help you get the books you need at a much lower price. That way, you can keep up with your schoolwork, ace the course, and stick to your budget.
You can save up to 95 percent on the price you pay on textbooks by simply electing to buy them used rather than buying them new. With that kind of discount, why would you choose any other course of action?
2. High Return on Investment
When it comes to being a college student, you learn real quickly about the true meaning behind “return on investment”. Another popular term is receiving as much “bang for your buck” as possible during your college experience.
Things like eating ramen noodles for dinner every night, going to the park for free exercise, and hitting up 50-cent wing nights at the local restaurant are just a few ways college kids make the most of what they spend.
However, there’s no better return on investment in all of college than purchasing used textbooks. They allow you to gain the same information and textbooks for a cheaper price.
You literally gain zero advantages from having a new book over the old ones. Even if the new book is updated, they usually don’t have any significant updates of note. If they did, then the professor wouldn’t allow the old versions for class.
There aren’t many times in life where you’ll get the same experience by paying a lower price point. Take advantage of this opportunity and get used textbooks for all your classes.
3. Lower Depreciation on Your Purchase
Unless you aim to keep the used textbooks that you purchase for whatever reason, buying used books also prevents you from experience significant depreciation on your purchase.
For those of you that don’t understand what depreciation is just yet, it’s essentially when the value on your purchase gets reduced due to time and usage. It happens for many investments you make in life.
Things like your car, your smartphone, and clothes, all undergo depreciation. Your college textbooks are no different.
If you can find a way to lower the amount of depreciation that you’ll undertake, then you’ll get more money back for what you originally paid. That’s why buying used textbooks is so helpful.
New textbooks are like buying a new car: the moment you walk out of the store with it, it’s value goes down significantly.
Since used textbooks have already experienced that initial depreciation, you’ll get a price closer to what you paid for them when you sell your books at the end of the semester/school year.
4. Access to Quality Textbooks
There is a huge misconception among college students that purchasing used textbooks is looked down upon. That couldn’t be further from the truth!
As you’ve undoubtedly noticed in this article, buying used textbooks isn’t only the cheaper option, it’s the smarter option for your studies. You get access to the same information at a lower price.
Even though the textbooks you buy have been used by other students, it doesn’t mean you’re buying a book that’s been torn through. In fact, each used textbook goes through quality inspection to ensure they meet high standards.
5. Possible Assistance with Your Course
For a tremendous example of how used textbooks can help with your classwork, look no further than the book/movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
In the story, Harry gets his hands on a used textbook that contains specific notes left by a mysterious former student. He uses those notes to become the top of his potions class and catch the eye of his professor.
While you most likely won’t have that experience when buying a used textbook, there might be highlights left by the previous owner that can point you in the right direction.
These can help you as you’re trying to study for tests, gather answers for homework, and read along while you’re in class.
Buying Used Textbooks: It’s the Right Way to Go
Now that you’ve seen all the benefits of buying used textbooks for your college courses, it’s time to find the books that you need.
Be sure to read this article for more information on the common studying mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
To find the textbooks you need, visit this page where you can search by ISBN, author, keyword, or title.