KateHorrell

Helping Military Families Make The Most of Their Money

  • Home
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact/Hire Me
  • Our Privacy Policy
  • Make Money Now

My Kid Saved At Least $100 On Her Textbooks In Less Than 15 Minutes

8 August 2018

This post may contain affiliate links, from which I may earn revenue to support this free site. All opinions are my own, and I only promote products that I use and love!

Facebook0Tweet0Pin00Email0

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, from which I may earn money. As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own, and I only promote products that I use and love!

It's not hard to save money on college textbooksYesterday, I had a proud parenting moment. One of my kids texted me the night before and said, “I got my book list. Can you help me find the best prices?” She’s been pretty good about renting and buying used and getting some on Amazon, but I hadn’t felt that we’d put forth our best effort yet. It’s a fine balance between being thrilled that your kids are self-sufficient enough to handle things on their own, and having a secret niggling that maybe, possible, there’s a cheaper way to do something. And we hadn’t looked for the cheapest possible options, so it was always sitting in the back of my head: What if there was a less expensive option?

So, we sat down together and went through her book list. She doesn’t anticipate using any of these books again in the future, so we looked for the rental option, while also checking that it wasn’t a similar price to buy. She looked up the prices on the college bookstore website, and I looked them up on Chegg and BookScouter. For two of the books she needs, Chegg was the clear winner. For one book, her college bookstore was actually cheaper. (That surprised me.)

Note: if she had a shorter rental term, some of the smaller companies listed on BookScouter were cheaper, so that might be a great option if you’re taking an accelerated class.)

Now, one pitfall to the Chegg option was that they don’t always guarantee that their used books will include necessary access codes or DVDs or other supplemental material. Because of this, we decided to wait and actually order the books closer to the start of class, so we wouldn’t potentially run into trouble with the 21 day refund period. This way, she can see what comes with her book, compare it to her syllabus, and see if the book will work for her.

Just three textbooks, and we’ve saved over $150 over the listed sales price. Plus, the convenience of just sending them back at the end of the year is valuable, as I have a stack of old textbooks in my bedroom that I need to sell back, and they’re getting less valuable by the day.

Obviously, your results will vary, but I’ve found Chegg and Bookscouter to find me lower prices in almost every instance that I’ve looked. (This one book this year was a weird exception.)

College is expensive – you’ve got to save money where you can, and books are an easy place to save!

Do you want to know more about your military pay and benefits?

Things change fast around here! Keep up-to-date with email alerts about the topics that are important to you!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I don't like spam, and I won't send it to you, either. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Kate
Facebook0Tweet0Pin00Email0

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Education Tagged With: books, college, textbooks

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search

Welcome

Hi! I'm Kate! Accredited Financial Counselor®, Navy spouse, and mom of four.

Here at the blog, I talk about the financial issues that affect military families - pay, allowances, and benefits. Plus college stuff, landlording, moving, taxes. We cover a little bit of everything.

My goal is to give you the tools to make the best decisions right now, so you'll be confidently prepared for whatever comes next - whether that's a PCS move, transition to civilian life, or retirement.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever makes you happy, and let's get to know each other.

Home About Resources Contact/Media Privacy Policy
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Affiliate Disclosure

This site does contain advertising and affiliate links. If you click on an advertisement or link, I may be compensated. I only promote companies that I love and trust. Kings High Media/KateHorrell.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Disclaimer

Kate does not represent the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. This blog is strictly for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content on this site should not be considered professional financial or legal advice. I may receive compensation through affiliate or advertising relationships from products mentioned on this site. All reviews on this site represent the personal opinions of the author. All references to third party products, rates, and offers may change without notice.

©2020 Kate Horrell and Kings High Media. All Rights Reserved.
Site development by Olive & Ivy Design

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!