by Joan Inong

Created on: May 09, 2009

College is already expensive as it is. Textbooks add to the cost. But, you don't have to put a dent in your wallet or your college fund. The following tips will help you find cheap college textbooks that will help keep more money in your pocket.

Online

The best textbook deals can be found online. As with any purchase that you plan to make online, always make sure that the website that you are ordering from is secure. You can check this by going to the bottom righthand corner of the website and looking for a checkmark or secure site symbol. Amazon.com, alibris.com, and barnesandnoble.com are great starting points, and usually have the biggest network of used textbook resellers.

Amazon.com is a particularly good website because if you buy new textbooks, they qualify for free shipping. If you purchase textbooks from other, yet approved, resellers, you can expect to find quality books with great, prompt shipping all for a low price.

Peers

If your university or college has its own "marketplace" where students and faculty alike can post ads, you should check that website. For example, the University of Chicago has its own marketplace website where students can sell anything from books to furniture to sublets. Most students will check this website first because they don't need to pay extra for shipping and they can meet the reseller in person to see the condition of the book.

Even if your school doesn't have that type of website, you can post ads around your dorm, apartment, or around campus. Make sure that if you are posting around campus that you get your ads approved, or else they will be taken down.

Word of mouth can also be useful. Tell your friends what books you need, and they might be able to scout some out for you. Or, if they have taken those classes before, they might just let you borrow the books or sell them to you for a small price.

Used book shops

These shops are usually not the best places to find up-to-date textbooks, but if your class only requires novels or non-fiction work, then you can bet that you might find those titles in these used books bookstores. Lots of special finds can be found in these stores, especially since many of the editions that are sold are out-of-print or sometimes even rare.

Whether you want a used or new textbook, you can find quality books inexpensively by going online, or networking with your peers, or by going to used books bookstores.

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