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A Saving Money Plan For Buying Used Books
In today's economy everyone is looking for a bargain. More than a bargain, most of us are looking for ways to save money. However, sometimes a bargain turns out to cost us more then if we paid full price. This can definitely be seen when buying cheap used books online.
The biggest expense when buying books online turns out to be the shipping cost of the books. As with anything you order online, you are generally offered different shipping methods. Each methods adds more expense to the cost of the items you are buying. Why is this worse with buying books online? Books weigh a lot. Practice being patient, and stick to the lower shipping price.
Therefore, when you are buying a used book that looks like a real bargain, by the time you get to the bottom line you find you are paying more for the used book then it would cost you to go to the store and pay full price. Why? Because the bookseller is in business and wants to make money. If they are not making money on the item they are selling, then the only way to be profitable is to make money on the shipping costs.
Keep in mind when you are buying books online, they have the advantage of qualifying with the United States Postal Service for the discounted shipping known as Media Mail. This form a shipping is a little slower, but can save you money when buying the books you want. From my experience Media Mail will generally get the books to you within 7-10 days, but there is no guarantee.
How do you get a good deal when buying books online? The answer is research and know what the hidden costs are. There are generally three costs associated with buying online. First is the cost of the item, then the tax, and finally the shipping. You will find if you go to one of the more popular sites on the internet (no names mentioned, this is applicable to several sites), they may offer you free shipping. However, that applies only if you are buying the item from them, not from one of the sources they offer used items from. Therefore, you may buy multiple items and pay multiple shipping costs to obtain the items. Pay attention!
The first thing to remember is that the cheaper cost of the used books may not be the best bottom line for the item. So how do you know? Here is the break down:
* Do your homework and be a frugal shopper. Don't settle for the best known website. Research and don't look at just the price of the book.
* Consider where the seller is doing his business. Why? Because on the internet the seller is required to charge tax for the state they do business in and pay that state tax into the state. If you find the same book on two sites and the cost of the book and shipping are the same, but one charges you tax and the other doesn't, which is cheaper for you?
* Check the site's shipping policy. If a site has a policy that starts at one rate and adds money on for each item purchased it can add up. If a site has a flat shipping rate no matter the number of items purchased, this can be to your advantage if you purchase multiple items.
* Check the bottom line. Add the books to your cart and go through the checkout. You can find your total for the purchase without completing the purchase. You can always cancel the purchase, but you will know which site is offering the better price.
* If you are an avid reader, you should be able to find a site that has cheap used books, and a good shipping rate. When you do you may find it to your advantage to buy multiple books at one time. Keep in mind that a good paperback can cost you $10 these days. If you buy used and can get a flat shipping rate of $4 and book prices of $1 to $3 you would be able to buy multiple books for what it would cost you to go to the store and buy them.
Be frugal with your online buying, shop around, and don't forget the three costs associated with shopping online, item cost, tax and shipping. Happy shopping.
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