by Jacob Rachiele

Created on: December 21, 2009

You have spent hundreds of hours researching, planning, deciding, and getting in to the college of your choice, and you have dropped thousands of dollars on tuition and fees for just one year of education. Just when you think all the rough stuff is over, you're hit with the reality that the books you'll need for your classes are going to cost over one hundred dollars a book, which will add up to over a thousand dollars a year. But actually, that last part doesn't need to be true. In fact, by reading this article and using the techniques contained in it, you will not only save money on your textbooks, you will be able get them at no cost, and possibly make money while you’re at it.

WHERE TO BUY

One of the most important things students should be learning in the 21st century, but that many colleges fail to teach, is how to leverage technology. Buying your textbooks online is the simplest way of leveraging the technology of the internet to your advantage. However, when somebody tells to you buy "online" they're not really helping you any more than they would be if they advised you to go to a bookstore. The truth is you can spend just as much online, if not more, than you could at your college bookstore. What matters then is where specifically to buy your college textbooks online- and the answer is Craigslist.

WHY CRAIGSLIST?

Craigslist has become the purest form of a free market available in our society. The freer a market, the more efficient it becomes. The more efficient a market is, the lower the prices. If you want to be able to obtain the absolute lowest prices possible on your college textbooks, Craigslist is where you will find it. On Craigslist, not only are the prices already near rock bottom, but usually sellers will be willing to negotiate an even lower price if you promise to have cash in their hand within a short amount of time. You also avoid shipping fees and sales tax by going this route. When dealing on Craigslist always make sure to meet in a public place and inspect the book before buying. Buying textbooks on Craigslist is safer than buying high ticketed items such as vehicles or electronics, but it’s still important to be careful and diligent.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY

So you bought your book from Craigslist, had a great semester, and the book is now lying on the shelf collecting dust. Now what? This is where the making money part comes in. Once you’ve used your textbook for the semester, you can resell that book

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