Buying books is a major expense during your college years. Science and math textbooks may run around $100 apiece and, if you are studying literature, you may be required to buy multiple texts of novels and plays. Luckily, you can find low-price textbooks. The trick is to buy them used.
1. Visit your college bookstore
At your college bookstore, you may have the option of buying new or used textbooks. While the new books may be considerably more attractive, they also come at a heftier price. Buying used can save you a lot of money, and sometimes there can be a hidden advantage: if the previous owner made notes in the page margins, you may even get some study tips!
2. Look for ads on campus
Be sure to pay attention to signs and flyers around campus, particularly around your department. If students miss the date for selling books back to the bookstore, or if they finish their degree program and move away, they may choose to advertise their textbooks privately, often at a lower cost than the book store charges.
3. Shop online
Search for used books on the Internet. A good place to begin is by checking your college Web site. Comparison shop to be sure an online price (plus shipping and handling) is less than what you’d pay at the bookstore. Also, make sure any books you order can be delivered before you need them, so you don’t fall behind on your studies.
4. Double-check before you buy
Before you buy that used book, here are two things to consider. First, some books -- particularly in the math, science and foreign language fields -- come with a supplemental CD or a workbook. Make sure all the components are there. Although it will likely be less expensive without all of its original parts, you may need those extras to complete your assignments. Second, take a close look at the edition number on the book. Textbooks frequently come out with new editions, as technology, geography and politics change. Be sure the edition you buy is the one your professor assigned on the syllabus.
With just a bit of homework, you can save yourself a bundle by purchasing low-price textbooks.
Related Articles
