Everyday Lesson: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle…Save Money!

Yesterday, my daughter and I ordered her schoolbooks for next year. I know, it’s still summer but we wanted to do some research on prices and shipping costs. We had the text book ISBN numbers, so it was easy to compare prices on the various websites. Also, her school holds a book swap at the end of the year so she was able to pick up a few of her books for a very reduced price.

It was enlightening for her to participate. In years past, I ordered the books on my own but this year I decided that since college is only two years away, she should get a taste of what her college textbooks will cost.

She was very surprised to see that her Physics book was $103 if she bought it NEW. We searched for USED copies and found them ranging from $69 to $77 depending on condition. I explained that we needed to think about shipping costs too. On Barnes and Noble’s website, we were able to get free shipping when we ordered up to a certain amount. However, we had to pay shipping on two books since they were coming from other book suppliers.

Her result was a savings of approximately $45. Teaching her to be environmentally aware by buying used books when possible and, also saving money was a great everyday lesson!

The Environmental Protection Agency has a good resource for Recycling.

For Kids: EPA Environmental Kids Club  

For Teens: EPA – Your Enviroment. Your Choice.