Let’s face it, college is hard on your pocketbook. Fees pop up all over the place, and I’m not just talking tuition. There are the unavoidable housing costs, living expenses, social expenditures, your money pit of a car – and then there are textbooks. The average college student spends hundreds of dollars on textbooks every semester, but this cost is completely unnecessary. Read on for a few tips to save on textbooks.
In this post:
1. Don’t Order Ahead Of Time
Don’t order your books ahead of time off a class supply list. Wait until at least the first few sessions of each class to see if the professor will be using all of the books. Many times one or more of the books is optional or negligible.
2. Check Your Library
Check your books out through your library. My school’s library belonged to a program called LinkPlus, which connected it to 48 libraries, totaling over five million books in the system. Many college libraries have something similar. A more scientific/mathematical book might not be in the system, but a historical/literary book definitely will be. Make sure you give yourself enough time for the book to arrive, as it will take several days to a week.
Sharing is caring. Buy a textbook with a classmate that is taking the same college class and split the cost. If you are a new student, this might be harder, but a semester or two into your major, you should know enough of your classmates to make an offer. It’s much easier if the person lives in your dorm or is fairly close to you.
4. Buy Online
Go online. Don’t go to your student bookstore – even their used books are rarely as cheap as something you might find on Amazon. Use a trusted textbook website or a trusted supplier (check their ratings).
5. Buy Used
I actually prefer to buy used books because more than likely the previous owner of the textbook highlighted or bookmarked the important sections so that helps with studying and you may not have to read as much if all of the pertinent information is already highlighted.
6. Ask Friends
Buy from a friend. If you know someone who is taking a class that you’ll eventually need, strike up a deal. Offer to pay ten dollars more than the bookstore will buy it back for.
7. Previous Editions
Buy an old edition of the textbook as it will be less expensive than the newest edition. Yes, I know syllabi are very specific about the edition required, but most of the time this can be ignored. Professors don’t mind what edition you use unless it is missing something significant (or it’s their book). Often, the main difference between editions is the location of information in the book. Buying an old edition online will drop the price significantly.
8. Rent Textbooks
Did you know you can rent textbooks for much less than buying them? When done, you simply return the book to the leaser. You can rent textbooks from Amazon or search for the best textbook rental price.
9. Sell Back
Sell back to another student or search online to see which online bookstore will give you the best price. Your student bookstore will only buy it back at a laughable price. Also, consider keeping books from your major that you enjoyed, especially if you can’t find a worthwhile offer.
Those are some tips from my experience. Using these techniques might take a little more effort, but it’s worth the hundreds of dollars saved.
