Save Money on College Textbooks

Buying college textbooks can be very expensive, especially if you are on a limited income. New textbooks can range from $20 to upwards of $100. If you are taking an introductory class that is not your major, you may be less inclined to pay full price for a book you'll never use after you complete the class.
Here are some alternatives to paying full price:

The school library often has required text on reserve. This means that you can complete your readings for free within the library, usually for an allotted time such as an hour. Please note that someone can have the same idea as you, so the book may not always be available when you want it. Also check your local library. There is a chance that they have the textbook you need that you can check out for extended periods of time.

Buy Used. There are many resources to buy used college textbooks, often times far below retail. Many of these sources are online. Be careful to find a reputable seller with positive reviews. Throughout college I purchased a majority of my books on half.ebay.com and found that 95% of sellers are very honest and ship quickly.

Buy the previous edition. You should always check to see if your teacher recommends this before choosing this option. Often times, your teacher will tell you if it is ok to buy either the old or new edition. Textbook publishers realize the money to be made from college students, so some come out with new editions every few years. This makes buying a used book impossible and selling back a worthless old edition. In some cases, publishers makes only a few updates and nominal changes, which means you can get by using the old edition. Buying a newly outdated edition is probably the best bargain you will find.

Sharing. If you have to pay for a new edition, or just don’t want to pay full price, sharing the cost and the book with a friend or classmate can take the sting out of the cost. Be sure to set guidelines for times of use and of course be sure to choose someone you can trust. There is nothing worse than having a final and not having your book to study from.

Campus Bookstore. The Campus Bookstore is generally the last resort. You pay for the convenience of being able to buy new and used college textbooks in one place. If they have a used edition or paperback, they will be cheaper than a new or hardback. Be sure to compare the condition of the used books and choose the cleanest copy. Sometimes the bookstore will bundle several required books together making it cheaper than buying the books separately.

Sell Back. Sell back used textbooks you no longer need. List your books on a popular online book exchange. Or you can post a notice on a school bulletin, preferably near the bookstore where people will see it. If you are resourceful you may earn a profit. If you want a quick sale, sell it back to the bookstore, but note you will get far less than you paid. Think of books as a required expense. If you sell back your book, even at a loss, think of it as extra money in your pocket. Remember, textbooks depreciate quickly, so if you’re not going to use it, sell it.

Saving money on books requires extra effort and research. I found that the time it takes to find cheaper books pays for itself in savings.

Read more on Paying for College.