Here are the dapper miser's guidelines on textbook buying:
- NEVER RENT - Renting is the biggest scam the bookstore offers. they trick you into thinking you will save money by renting, but really you're losing. So, you walk into the bookstore see your english book at $60 new, $50 used, $45 rent. You go online buy the book used at $40. After the semester is over you sell it to another student or online at $45. You just got your textbook for better than free. If you would have rented you would have lost $45.
- Read the Syllabus - Before you buy, take a look at the syllabus. If the course outline doesn't make refrences to the textbook or it doesn't look like you'll be using the book, don't bother buying the book. You can always ask your professor if the book is necessary, some will straight up tell you NO. Professors are required by the school to put a textbook in the materials in order to generate money for the school.
- The Search - Don't lose time during your search. There's a site every college student needs to know, bigwords.com. They search every online bookstore finding the lowest price, they even find coupons for your books! Remember to plug in your Amazon Prime for Big Words to calculate shipping savings.
- The Highest Bidder - When selling your books, check what your campus bookstore will give you, then check bigwords.com to find the highest bidder. Always remember to offer the books to fellow students as well. I actually bought my english book at $9, sold it to the campus bookstore for $30 at the end of the semester.
Remember to check if your employer covers educational expenses, thus making your books free from the get go. Handle this transaction like a business pro, and someday you might find yourself as a purchasing agent for a large corporation.
