Saving Money on Textbooks

Ah, sticker shock. Even after three years of buying textbooks I am still flabbergasted by the prices at the bookstore. I remember freshmen year I bought a used biology book for $110 - never again. That was incredibly hard on my wallet, and my wardrobe. So I bring to you ways to save on books.

Tip: Find out what books you need before you go to class, you can do this by emailing the professor, checking online (online bookstore), or going to your campus bookstore.

1) Rent it! Especially if it is for general education requirements, and you won't be needing the book.

Best Site: Chegg.com, return mailing is free! Plus they plant a tree for every book you rent. You can choose the time period you need the book, so if you have quad classes you save even more!

2) Search, go online and look for the best prices for your textbook. Searching eBay, Amazon, and other vendors a good week to two weeks before classes begin. You can usually find them at a fraction of the price.

Best Site: DealOz.com, searches all sites for you to find you the best price and any available coupons for the site.

3) Etexts, if it doesn't seem to bother you that you won't have a hard copy of your book then go for it. Online textbooks on average save about 50%. The books are available for download and not just online. Though you will most likely find a limited amount of books.

Best Site: coursesmart.com - offers 180 day subscription

4) Sell back! If you no longer need the book for reference then sell it! But DO NOT sell it back at school, you will get a wimpy amount back.

Best site: eBay.com and Amazon.com great traffic and you usually end up getting a good amount back. Or facebook.com (marketplace) where you can list for free and list your own price.

Tip: Do not sell when the semester has ended, no one is looking for the book at that time. Start listing 1-2 weeks before the semester starts (even for the spring semester).

Tip: Try putting up fliers around school if you don't want to sell online

Any of the above ways will help you go green for earth and your wallet. Enjoy your school year, and the extra cash.

Works Cited:
Chegg. Web. .Course Smart. Web. .DealOz. Web. .