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Cut Your College Book Bill in Half

College is expensive, everyone knows that. Even with loans and scholarships, students and parents are looking at finding the cheapest way to get through school. Having $3000 less in loans at the end of your college stay may seem dismal, but to some it’s worth it.

Buying books for the upcoming year at school, I had the option of going through the school’s book store, which is what most of the students do at the beginning of each semester. The other option was something that hit me a couple months ago. Amazon.com. I’ve only bought a few books from Amazon, but I always saved a reasonable amount of money from them, even on new books.

Looking at the total cost for the college books store, the bill totaled about $400. I thought this was extremely expensive for eight books that I wouldn’t touch a year from now. What was even more annoying was the fact that it was $400 for used books.

Next, I went to Amazon.com, entered the ISBN numbers into the search, compared prices from different merchants, and had generated a bill of $175. $175 for eight books that would have cost me $400 at the book store? Yes! Also, four of the eight books I purchased were brand new. One used book was new, but the shipment had gotten “sun damage” and the publisher was selling them at used prices. Even my math book, which I bought for $0.83, was in great condition, only some minor highlighting.

I don’t think college books stores are trying to screw you, but like any business they need to make their money. With Amazon, I found cheaper prices on every book I purchased and next semester when I’m looking at buying books again, I will definitely use Amazon.

Tips for buying books from Amazon:

• Make sure to buy from an established Amazon merchant. “Just Launched” sellers have no reputation, no ratings from buyers.
• When buying used, only buy “Like New” condition books. Anything lower and you may need to purchase the book again.
• Many new books come with an “Interactive CD.” Buying used it is much harder to find a seller that has the CD, but don’t worry, 99% of the time you’ll never use it in your classes.
• If it’s cheap, it doesn’t mean it it’s in bad condition.
• Order the books at least 3 weeks before the date you will need them. Many sellers will send books media mail, which may take up two weeks for delivery depending on your location.

Tags: amazon, books, college, finance, internet, money, new, research, school, tips, tricks, used

BuyMyTronics: Now Buying More “Tronics”

I sold my video iPod about four months ago to BuyMyTronics, which at the time only bought iPods. They have expanded the number of electronics they are accepting and you can now submit your cell phone or game console. BuyMyTronics rids you of the hassles of eBay and will buy any gadget: new, used, working, and even broken. The better condition and the more accessories you’ve kept for the gadget will mean more money in your pocket.

I have a couple old cell phones and an original Xbox (which has become the 360’s stand) that I was considering submitting to BuyMyTronics. The Xbox (which includes the box, TV cords, and the power cord came out to be $18.00, which is low compared to what you might get on eBay. The first cell phone I tried was a two year old LG flip phone (which included the box, charger, and charging dock). It was in pretty good condition, but BuyMyTronics would only buy it from me for $0.00, which doesn’t seem quite worth it (especially after paying for shipping). I tried my year old Motorola phone and it had the same fate.

BuyMyTronics has grown into a great site to sell your new or used gadget. Customer service, if you need help, is quick and understanding (much better than eBay’s). If you’re looking to get rid of an old cell phone, I would recommend recycling it at a Staples. The old cell phones go to undeveloped countries which feels better than a couple bucks in your pocket. Right?

Tags: blog, broken, buymytronics, customer service, ebay, electronics, money, new, old, post, used