On Friday, I wrote about Should I Rent My College Textbooks?   I didn’t really go into detail on how you can rent them.  Since the market is fairly new, I wanted to point out some questions that you may have in regards to renting your books.  Not only can it save you money most of the time, it’s going to save you a lot of stress.

Back in the day, I had to go out, purchase my textbooks and then proceed to sell them back to the college bookstore like a dummy.  First off, I made a few dumb mistakes.  I was purchasing my books from the college bookstore which is a huge no-no, as well as selling them back to the bookstore, which is another huge one.

When you’re looking to rent a textbook online, the process really isn’t that hard.  The following step by step instructions should get you on the right path to getting a book that works best for you.

1.  I recommend Chegg

This is the only textbook rental service that I recommend.   They have the best prices and what you’re going to find out is that they have the best selection as well.  If you’re looking to rent your textbooks, you’re going to want to start here.

2.  Register on the site

You will want to create an account there, because you’re going to find out that you will more than likely rent a book each semester.  Its a lot easier to store everything, so that you can log in, purchase, and not have to fill out your contact form each and every time.

3.  Search for your books

The best way to know that you’re getting the right book is by searching for the ISBN.  This is the number that is located on the book.  You can generally get this from your professor, or you may find it on your college syllabus.  Most professors will give you a few days to get your book.

4.  Rent your book

When you’re ready to rent, you will be able to choose particular increments.  You can rent by the semester, quarter, or even days.  Each price is going to be different.  The thing I like about is that its easy to send the book back and they plant a tree every time you make a purchase!

5.  Return the book

When you’re done, make sure you return it before the deadline to avoid any type of late fees.  You will be able to get a mailer that they sent in the first place.  Throw it in there and mail it back.

Renting isn’t that hard and its going to save you a lot of money.  As I mentioned in that previous post, make sure that renting makes sense.  You may find that its cheaper to purchase used sometimes, rather than rent.