Learn To Save Your Money

So my sister is heading back to school and has a huge list of text books that she needs for her classes. The bad part is that majority of the books can’t be purchased used since the editions have been updated. My sister is one who opposes buying a used book that has writing or any highlighter marking in it. For me personally, this did not matter in my undergrad days, but with certain classes, especially in grad school I wanted a clean text book. I am all for purchasing text books online. Normally this is a fast and easy process. Once you have the ISBN’s of the book you need, you can easily hit up any of your favorite online book seller sites, such as Half.com, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. I personally would compare prices at all three sites and even consider factors such as shipping time as well as shipping costs. In my sister’s situation the best option for her was to purchase her new text books from Barnes & Noble’s web site. The site had all the books she needed, shipping was guaranteed within a specified time frame, and lastly they have a membership club which entitles members to a additional 10% – 40% discount on purchases online as well as in store. In order to join the club there is an annual $25 fee. In my sister’s case paying the $25 membership fee outweighed the savings she incurred. Most people overlook such programs, but if you are constantly purchasing new books, this may be a program to consider.

Image Credit: Lunawhimsy