While the majority of college students’ money goes to tuition, room, and board, another area of heavy spending is on textbooks. In fact, students can expect to spend $500 or more on textbooks per year.
With class and studying taking uptime, as a full-time college student, you really don’t have time to work as much as you wish. So, what is a good way to save money on college supplies so you can pay other expenses?
Cheap textbook rentals are one way to save money during your time in college. If you’re going to be needing a lot of books for college, read on to discover why you might want to rent books instead of buying them.
What Are Textbook Rentals?
Renting textbooks consists of finding the textbook you need for your class at a great price and renting it for the semester. One of the best ways you can do this is by finding it online because online textbook rentals have a larger selection than some libraries. Once you’re finished with the textbook, send it back, or rent it for a longer period of time if you need it.
Some perks of renting textbooks are:
- Saving money
- Convenient
- Rent ebooks and store them digitally to save space
- Get the latest editions of books you need
- Greater selections
- Give them back when you’re done so they don’t take up shelf space
Keep in mind, that if you do need to buy a new book, textbook rentals will likely buy it from you. Most students want to save money on textbooks and are not as eager to buy used as they once were.
Cheap Textbook Rentals: Price Comparison
Renting textbooks can save you money, but how much exactly? And how does it work?
On average, a college student may be able to save anywhere from 50-90% by using textbook rentals. While you could also buy used, renting textbooks is an easier way to find what you need and also send it back when you’re done. Most students don’t keep the textbook for reference unless they’re using it in an extension course.
Keep in mind that the books you need will vary on a degree basis. That means that not all students will have the same book fees, because some degree programs require more or fewer textbooks. And some of the books required for each course may be smaller or larger as well.
For example, a student in medical school or law may need a larger load of textbooks than a liberal arts student. But, a liberal arts student may find that they keep some of their books more often than a medical student.
Renting textbooks online is an easy, streamlined process. Find the ISBN of the book, or the title, and visit Cheapest Textbooks to enter these numbers and price compare from a variety of online resources. The work has already been done for you!
When you buy books from a dealer or a seller, there are often shipping costs included or you’re driving from one bookstore to another. With Cheapest Textbooks, you get can free shipping or very low shipping costs. This saves you money as well and makes shopping for textbooks a one-stop-shop.
Should I Rent All the Textbooks?
One question that concerns college students is if they should rent all of their textbooks as opposed to buying them. Here are a few things to consider.
While cheap textbook rentals for college will save you money, sometimes it may be in your best interest to buy the book used. The great thing about cheap textbook rentals is that there’s often a buying option on websites. On Cheapest Textbooks, there are recommendations for you to buy or rent due to the cost of owning the book, buying it back, and using it in the future.
Renting books means you need to return them by a certain date. While most renting companies understand that college students may need to extend their borrowing length, you must keep in mind the due date so you don’t get hit with any late fees.
Sometimes professors choose a new version of a textbook that is not widely available or used yet, or that textbook has materials like CDs you need to use. This means that renting them might be impossible and you’ll have to buy new ones. However, you can still use a textbook renting site to find the best price.
If this is a book you think you might like to own, it’s probably better to buy it. When you do rent, there’s not always the option to buy, and you’ve already spent the money renting it. Before you make your decision, consider the book and its future use for resources or pleasure and decide if renting it is worth it.
Also, keep in mind that not all rental companies will allow you to highlight or make notes in your book margins. If you’re a good notetaker or enjoy highlighting and you find that these methods help you study more, you may want to rethink renting or view the policy on writing in textbooks.
Cheap Textbook Rentals: Is it For You?
When deciding whether or not cheap textbook rentals are for you, it’s important to consider all angles and your needs. Renting books is a great way to save money, time, and space to make way for other things important to you.
Are you ready to search for the textbooks you need? Visit our website today and start your search for the cheapest textbooks!