Going to college isn’t cheap. It costs thousands of dollars every semester, just for the class. Room and board, meals, and books are all extra. One way to save a few hundred dollars every semester is to rent your textbooks.
Renting textbooks has become a very popular option when ordering textbooks. The average student spends around $400-500 a semester on textbooks. If you rent your text books you can save on average about $300 a semester. That equates to an annual savings of about $600.
There are quite a few places that rent textbooks, but there are a few that provide the best service and the cheapest costs.
Chegg – Chegg was started in 2007 and has become the #1 online textbook renting company. Their customer service is fantastic, their books ship quickly, and the cost is lower than its competitors 90% of the time. Chegg also plants a tree with every order, providing more than just a service to their customers but focusing on helping the world.
Book Renter – Book Renter is the runner up to Chegg for book rentals. They tend to be slightly higher priced then Chegg, but I always check their site to see if I can save a bit more. Book Renter falls short in the customer service area, and their shipping takes quite a bit longer than Chegg. I suggest only using Book Renter if they have a text book that is more than 5% cheaper then Chegg.
Amazon – Amazon offers everything under the sun, so why not offer textbook rentals. It pays to check and see if they can beat the price of Chegg. Their customer service is great, and they tend to have quick shipping.
Renting textbooks is a great alternative to anyone who does not wish to keep their textbooks after the semester is over. They can save you hundreds of dollars every year, and offer a convenient and cheaper solution to ordering textbooks. Even if you rent your textbooks and wish to keep them, they offer the option to purchase the book.
Be sure to check coupons sites such as Retailmenot or mycoupons. They tend to have coupons for 5-10% off or free shipping at Chegg and Book Renter. Also make sure to rent these books on your Rewards Credit Card to get cash back on your purchase, click here for some of the top reward credit cards.