How to Find Less Expensive Textbooks

Most college students live on a shoestring, especially with rising tuition costs. Between the cost of classes and paying for a place to live on or near campus, students can easily go way over budget and many are not able to spend a small fortune on textbooks they may or may not read or use at all, for classes. However, unlike their parents' generation, today's college student has a plethora of options when it comes to buying (and selling back) textbooks.

Much to students' excitement, a law that will take effect in July of 2010 requires that schools post the names of the textbooks required as well as their corresponding prices to the online course schedules. This legislation alone will dramatically impact the way that textbooks are bought and sold, ultimately positively impacting the student and his wallet. Advanced notice is key to finding not only the best-priced option, but more importantly, the correct book itself, and this move by legislators will give students the time they need to shop wisely and be prepared for class.

Above all, start the textbook hunt early. Used books can be hard to find, and those that are the lowest price are always gone several weeks before class even begins. The first step that every student should take in the search for the books they need is to go to the campus bookstore and see exactly which books are required for class. Unfortunately, some professors still require students to buy textbooks authored by them that are only available in the bookstore (though many states have legislation in process that prohibits this type of practice) or alternately, profs change the editions of the books they use every semester, making finding used books nearly impossible. When "normal" textbook purchasing is concerned, making visual contact with books in the campus bookstore is really helpful because different editions may be different colors or have different cover designs, and when looking online, it's helpful to know whether the correct book looks familiar. If an IPhone is available, download the "RedLaser" app. It isn't free, but the small cost will save lots of money in the long run because it allows quick and easy searches for a standard ISBN. Enable the location option on RedLaser so that when bar codes are scanned, a local search is performed, yielding both brick-and-mortar bookstores with lower prices as well as online retailer or even library options. Though it's very unlikely, sometimes campus book stores do have the lowest price on used texts.

Half.com has been the long-standing leader in online textbook buying and selling. Students are the primary customers and vendors, making books generally very reasonably and competitively priced. Amazon.com does have a section on it's website for textbooks, but it doesn't have the selection nor the rock-bottom pricing that Half.com has. For the student who has very little time to purchase books, Campusbooks is a great tool to use to compare several new, used and even rental book options. Also, look at Cengagebrain, which features an easy-to-use interface with a simple ISBN search and free shipping for orders over $25 (not including e-books or rentals). Renting books is a new option and in vogue. If it fits the lifestyle of the college student in your life, check out CampusBookRentals, which is especially tech savvy because it includes a mobile reservation option.

Don't underestimate the value of posting fliers on campus or using word-of-mouth requests to buy and sell. Sometimes, the most cost effective way to acquire or dispose of a book is to trade with friends or roommates who take the same classes in different semesters. Many schools have specific locations for fliers to be posted, and with texting and email, communicating with potential buyers or sellers this way has become quick and easy and doesn't require paying sales tax or shipping and handling.

For those who still enjoy the tactile experience of finding the right books at a bookstore, stay away from traditional large chain bookstores and opt for a local half-priced option. Most medium to larger cities (and a good number of college towns) are home to bookstores that carry all different types of books at half to three-quarters of the retail price. Discount bookstores don't usually carry textbooks however, so use this option for English classes that requires novels or popular works of fiction.