by T. Steele

Created on: April 14, 2008   Last Updated: September 22, 2010

Do you feel upset when you walk into your college bookstore and see the price of books? Do you feel cheated when you return your books at the end of the semester to receive 25 percent (if you are lucky) of the price you paid for the books? Tuition is expensive enough so why must books add to the burden? Well guess what! There is actually a way to get the books you need for college cheaper than what they are selling for in the bookstore.

Ramen noodles and two day old pizza make a great meal, but not together I hope. Well, there is a way to reduce what you pay in the cost of books and upgrade your meals at the same time. Here are the top five cost saving ways when it comes time to purchasing those overpriced textbooks.

1. Talk to the professor to see if the books are necessary. Sometimes professors do not use the books that are in the bookstores. Instead, the professors provide students with supplemental materials. Therefore, first determine whether the books are a necessity. Over half of the time the study guides sold in the bookstore are not a requirement or necessary for the class.

2. Ebay! After determining the books are definitely a requirement, there is absolutely no reason why you should not bargain shop. Okay women, do not get excited because I mentioned shopping; book shopping is not nearly as fun as clothing and shoe shopping. However, if you bargain shop on books then you will be able to go clothing and shoe shopping. In a world where information is readily assessable there is no reason to search the internet for the best deals on the books you need for collegeor is there? You do the math and let me know. I bet you will come out with a better deal.

3. Used books are the way to go! I was so excited my first semester of college that I wanted everything to be new. New books, new clothes, new shoes, new underwearokay maybe I am going too far, but you get the picture. I quickly got over that new stage as soon as I had to live through my first semester on Ramen noodles and two day old pizza (notice a pattern); especially after I went to return my books at the end of the semester to get $20 after I paid $80 for the books - big disappointment. Anyway, shop early when purchasing used books because the best ones go fast. Okay, so you are asking, how am I to shop early if I do not know whether I am going to need the book because the semester has not started? Easy solution, go ahead buy the used books. Most bookstores give a grace period to return the book at

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