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Whether you are in high school or college, chances are you have some books to buy. Depending on how many courses you are taking, this can get expensive. Really expensive. If I can give one piece of advice to college students in particular right off the bat here, it is this:
DO NOT BUY YOUR TEXTBOOKS FROM YOUR COLLEGE BOOKSTORE UNLESS THAT IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN GET THEM.
Campus bookstores are notoriously expensive and you should avoid them for book purchases unless it is some weird book your professor wrote that is only available on campus. For everything else, there are way better options. In our experience, Amazon is the most cost effective for buying textbooks. Even if it might be a little more expensive than other sites on occasion, the fast shipping that Prime offers makes us choose Amazon every time. If you are a student, you qualify for Amazon Prime Student!
On the slight chance you aren’t aware of the wonderment that is Amazon Prime, here’s the quick low-down:
- For $99 a year, Amazon offers shoppers free two-day shipping on eligible items.
- In eligible zip codes, free same day shipping is also available. Some zip codes even qualify you for free two-hour delivery! (It’s probably good I’m not in one of those zip codes because I could do some serious damage.) 🙂
- Unlimited movie and TV streaming
Students with a .edu email address can get Amazon Prime Student right now for a free six-month trial, then at 50% off the regular Prime price. That’s $49 a year for each of the next four years. For those of you who are on the Six Year Plan, this might be enough incentive to finish in four years. 🙂 Amazon Prime Student is only available for four. After the fourth year, the price reverts to the full $99 a year. Adulting always costs more. 🙂
If you don’t have a .edu email address for some reason, you may still be able to qualify for Prime Student. A list of alternative documentation that you can provide is available on Amazon’s website.
The other great thing about ordering textbooks from Amazon is that many books are available for rent by the semester. For books that are unrelated to your major that you have no need to keep, this is a very affordable option. For example, one book that my daughter needs for one of her classes is listed at $60.25 from the campus bookstore. On Amazon, this same book is available for purchase new at $53.65, and available for rent at $47.36.
Campus bookstores rarely give you anything significant back when you sell them back to them, so renting from Amazon may be the way to go in this case. We rented textbooks last school year, and the process could not be easier. They arrive in the mail, you use them for a semester, Amazon sends you an email letting you know when they are due back, and you print out the return label and send them back. They let you know when they receive them, and you’re done. On to the next.
Once you’ve got your books, there are many more ways to make use of your Amazon Student Prime membership. Did you forget anything you need for your dorm? Order it and get free two-day shipping. Do you have a little down time? Stream some movies and TV. If your printer is running low on ink mid-semester? Order refills and get it before the weekend. Is your college in a town without some of your favorite shops or food? You will be AMAZED at all the stuff Amazon carries. You might just be able to order your favorite comfort snack. Running low on toiletries but it’s too hot or cold outside to go shopping in town? One click and you’re done.
Now that you know all the cool stuff awaiting you with Amazon Student Prime, what are you waiting for? Head on over and sign up for your 6-month free trial and 50% off membership right away. School’s about to start! 🙂
Join Prime Student FREE Two-Day Shipping for College Students
Please let me know if you have any questions about Amazon in the comments section. I’ve been ordering from them for YEARS. They know me there. 🙂 I’m happy to help if you need it!
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