Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), eBay Inc (EBAY): Four Nearly Painless Ways to Save on College Costs

Websites that cater to college students and their textbook-acquisition needs abound these days, and I’m not just talking about Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alibris. eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY), half.com, and sites that specialize in book rentals can help take a big bite out of that huge textbook bill — without your having to endure downtime while your out-of-stock books are back-ordered. Check out a passel of good hits on Mashable.

4. Use your student discount. Flourishing your student ID can net you discounts of up to 20%, depending upon the store or vendor . Many major clothing retailers, such as J. Crew and Banana Republic, offer discounts of 15%, while food vendors like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s give students a deal that varies from one location to another. Many local businesses will give you a break on price, as well. Many specials are unadvertised, so get into the habit of asking about a particular store or business’s policy beforehand.

Taking advantage of these cost-saving measures will cost you some time and effort, but the payoff is stellar: When you toss your cap into the air on graduation day, you’ll be celebrating not only the attainment of your degree, but the fact that you also got the best value for your education dollars.

The article 4 Nearly Painless Ways to Save on College Costs originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Amanda Alix.

Fool contributor Amanda Alix has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com and eBay. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com and eBay.

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