by Suzanne Rose

Created on: September 07, 2010

You stare at the price tag on the college textbook and wonder if they accidently added an erroneous zero to the end.  You ask the school bookstore clerk and are rewarded with a nose in the air and a stiff negative.  Then you calculate how many books you need per class multiplied by the number of classes multiplied by the number of semesters and so forth.  Fortunately, all hope is not lost because there are ways that you can save substantially on college textbooks.  Consider the following options.

Look for less expensive sources

Sadly, the school college bookstore is often the most expensive source from which to purchase college textbooks.  They know that they have a market already built in, so they can afford to charge a little more. You will oftentimes find neighboring bookstores that offer cost savings on these items.

You can also often save a significant amount of money by looking online. You can look at sources like www.amazon.com or www.ebay.com and you might save substantially.  Consider the cost of shipping but this is often free or very inexpensive because of the low-cost media mail option.

Buy pre-owned

You might be able to save a lot of money if you buy a college textbook that has already been used before.  If you buy it from the bookstore you can see the condition that it is in.  If you buy it online then they will usually list the condition such as like new, good, fair, etc.  This is often the best way to save money.

Share the book

Some people will actually share the textbook with another student in the class.  The only thing you need to be careful about is whether there will ever be a time when you will both need it such as in class, when an assignment is due or right before a big test.

Can you get an earlier edition?

A common practice in the college world is to come out with many editions of the same book, which have very few and minor changes.  You might be able to get an earlier form of the book and literally pay a fraction of the price.  Sometimes these changes will make a difference and of course you want to do well in the class.  You can inquire with your teacher and compare the two books to see if this is a consideration.

Sell your book back when you are done

A $100 book might not seem as bad if you can get $50 back for it after the class. The school bookstore will often take them back (although many times not at great prices).  You might be able to sell it to someone you know or you can sell it online.  It is really not very difficult to sell it at a source such as www.amazon.com.

College textbooks should not have to put you so far in debt that you will be paying them until retirement.  Utilize the above strategies to save money on these necessary items.

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