Frugal Text Book Options

I thought that this release from Best Book Buys provides some great money-saving ideas for parents and college students.

Shopping portals provide great resources for cheaper books. I've crunched a few numbers and have been impressed by the potential savings:

Here is the release:



"On average college students spend approximately $800 a year on their textbooks.

According to Steve Loyola, president and founder of BestBookBuys.com, an online price comparison shopping site for college students and a service of Best Web Buys, students can save up to 72 percent off the list price by comparing prices online.


Steve Loyola offers the following tips for shopping for the best textbook deals:
· Check your book list before heading back to college. Many college bookstores post the required text books online for each course. Similarly, many professors post the required reading online.

· Use comparison shopping sites which scour the Internet within seconds. Remember that not all comparison shopping sites are really showing you the lowest price first. Some give higher placement to stores that pay to be promoted. Make sure to click the sort button to find the lowest price.

· Order early. The best deals and selections for used books are when the supplies are at the highest.

· Consider buying an international edition. International editions can save students up to 72 percent off the list price of their U.S. counterpart. Shop at an online site that clearly delineates between international and US editions such as BestBookBuys.com.

· Search for textbooks with the same ISBN number as specified by your professor. Be careful that you are actually purchasing the edition you want.

· Check for store coupons and free shipping offers. Go to Google and enter the name of the store you wish to buy your books from and the word “Coupon”.

· Consider buying from an out-of-state retailer. Many out-of-state retailers will not charge sales tax. Compare each store’s availability and estimated shipping time.

· Before ordering, check out the store’s reputation and return policy. Many sites post ratings and feedback about the store’s customer service. Double-check the sales tax and shipping costs before submitting your order.

· Print the order confirmation page. It will contain information you may need to resolve any problems with an order.

· Sell your books back when the semester is over. A number of online bookstores will buy used textbooks. Best Book Buys has a link to participating sites at http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/buyback.html


At BestBookBuys.com, students can compare prices on over 5 million book titles across dozens of reputable online stores (including Amazon.com, Amazon Marketplace, Barnes and Noble, eBay, half.com, Overstock, and Powell’s) and more than 20,000 sellers including overseas sellers. Best Book Buys has been helping college students from more than 1500 colleges across the nation find the best prices for their new and used textbooks since 1997. The company was founded in 1997."