Affordabook Takes Pain Out of Textbook Scramble
Brick, N.J. (PRWEB) January 15, 2010 -- As families reel from our economy’s drawn-out tantrum, college students can call home with some good news. Affordabook.com (http://www.affordabook.com/), an online price comparison search tool and just-out iPhone application, helps users find good deals on cheap textbooks – a welcome relief when every penny counts.
Surveys show students spend between $300 and $1500 each year for new and used books, heaping additional strain on tight budgets. On average, families lay out $14,000-$30,000 in annual tuition and fees to send a child to college.
“My differential equations textbook alone cost me $200 this term,” said Ryan Lockaby, 19, a freshman at South Carolina’s Clemson University. “I’ve got to say ‘no’ when my friends want to go out to eat. These hidden costs burn your social life.”
Affordabook.com provides a multi-book search (http://www.affordabook.com/multi_isbn.php) in a matter of seconds, based on ISBN, book title, author, or keywords. Website visitors can use their laptop or the company’s recently launched free iPhone app (http://www.affordabook.com/iphone.php) to search and tally the cost for all their books at once or just research one book at a time.
“This mobile generation wants one-stop comparison shopping – on the fly,” said Vinnie Thomas, owner of Affordabook. “People don’t have time to mess around. Time is money. Textbooks are money. This iPhone app will let a student snap up a deal when he corners one.”
Almost two dozen retailers are linked to the price finder, enabling easy comparison and quick purchase of discount textbooks (http://www.affordabook.com/), novels and other non-fiction works. Users also can create a Watched List, which generates an email when a book reaches the client’s target price range.
The Brick, N.J.-based company also highlights books of interest, current New York Times Bestsellers and money saving tips on its site.
Textbook prices have soared in recent years – tripling since the mid-1980s, according to the US Department of Education and Government Accountability Office. New textbooks generate about $4 billion in revenue in this country, says Simba Information, a market research group. Used books generate about $2 billion in sales.
About Affordabook
Headquartered in Brick, NJ, Affordabook was launched in 2006 by entrepreneur Vinnie Thomas. The company provides real-time, web-assisted comparison shopping, helping students and other customers find textbooks and novels at the lowest price. Affordabook partners with more than 20 name-brand retailers, facilitating quick research and easy online purchase or rental of new and used books.
Contact
Questions? Call Vinnie Thomas at 848-992-3171.
Affordabook.com
Vinnie Thomas
1261 Herkimer Road
Brick, NJ 08724
Phone: 848-992-3171
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