I was looking for something inside our storage cabinet the other day and noticed how much textbooks and study materials my husband has accumulated while he worked on getting his degree. After using them for a quarter, they just ended up in that pile. What are we to do with these? He could not just hand them down to someone because they cost him a lot too. But I think sharing the cost would be more practical than just letting them rot in those boxes.
When he enrolls in his next class (he’s taking his master’s), I would suggest he just rent textbooks instead of buying them. Aside from the huge price difference, there are a lot of benefits to renting like having less junk later, for one, and minimizing our carbon footprints.
Rental shops are one-stop-shops too! We can browse through their huge selection and there’s a chance of finding all the textbooks we need in just one place – or web space! Renters are allowed to highlight text on the books, shipping is free both ways, and the rental periods may vary according to your terms (whether you take your classes in quarters, trimesters or semesters).
I just found one rental site that gives back, not just to Mother Nature by saving trees, but also to unfortunate kids with cleft lip or cleft palate – campusbookrentals.com
They have pledged to donate part of the rental fees that they earn to help at least 1000 kids with cleft lips. And by renting from them, we can help give these kids better lives too!
Going back to prices and savings, you’re welcome to check how much this book costs if you ordered it from, say, Barnes & Noble: Linne Ringsruds Clinical Laboratory Science/Mary-Louise-Turgeon
While you can rent it from campusbookrentals.com for a whole semester for just a little over 38 bucks, here’s a shortcut.
So if you are also in school right now and in need of textbooks, consider renting. You’ll help yourself (or your parents) save money, save trees, and make someone else’s life better too!
