Yep, the school year will be here before we know it. Kids will be flooding the hallways again, and parents will breathe sighs of relief.
My college-age babysitter and I were talking the other day about how expensive textbooks are these days - in the hundreds of dollars (and I thought dropping $75 for three kids at Target was steep!). I guess some things never change. I remember being so dismayed about paying big bucks for a brand new textbook and getting a few dollars for it at the end of the year.
I recently heard about a great website called CampusBookRentals, and I can't wait to tell all the college-age people in my life about it. A student can go to their website, search for the book he needs, and purchase it for 40-90% off bookstore prices! There is free shipping both ways, risk free returns within 30 days, and an option to keep the book longer if needed. You can even highlight in it!
Where was this program when I was in college?!
Here's a little more about how it works:
They also have an awesome program called RentBack which can actually earn you money by renting your books to other students - every time your book is rented, you make money. What college student doesn't love extra cash?
Do you know what I love even more about CampusBookRentals? They donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. Operation Smile is an international medical children's charity that provides reconstructive surgeries for children all around the world who are born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates.
These are life-saving medical procedures for these children. Without repairs, many of these children die before their first birthday because they are unable to eat. Others are shunned by their communities because they are unable to communicate effectively, socialize, or even smile.
Because my son, Slim, was born with a cleft lip and palate, this is a cause near and dear to my heart. He has already had three surgeries and is gearing up for orthodontia and implants. These surgeries simply make a child's mouth work the way it's supposed to and improve his quality of life.
If you or someone you love is taking college classes, do yourself a favor and check out CampusBookRentals.com. It will definitely make you smile and help a child smile.
*I was compensated for this post, but all of the opinions are my own.
