8 Ways To Save On Textbook Costs

By Author: Ty Cobb
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

It’s no secret that college students feel taken advantage of every time a new semester begins and they make the obligatory trip to the campus bookstore to purchase required materials for their new classes. It almost feels like some kind of sick and twisted monopoly when one considers the actual costs required to print the materials compared to the outrageous markup placed on the final product. You don’t have to play the evil textbook publishers’ game, though. With a little extra legwork and creative thinking, you can save yourself some money.
STANDARD METHODS
Buy “used” from the bookstore. Probably the simplest and easiest tip for textbook shopping. It’s a crapshoot, though, because books with the “used” sticker are usually in limited supply and don’t last long on the bookshelves.
Buy from Amazon, Ebay, or another textbook reseller. An easy way to independently seek out your textbooks, this idea is a good fallback to buying used direct from the bookstore. It’s not reliable, though, and falls victim to the same downfall: limited quantities are available.
Get the digital version. Publishers ...
... are aware of overwhelming student dissatisfaction with the price of their books. In order to retain customers who refuse to buy in print (as well as to accommodate those pursuing online degrees), some publishers are now offering electronic versions of the text at much cheaper (but still expensive) prices.
Rent. For the same reasons that digital texts are gaining popularity, renting books is experiencing the same level of interest from students. As the name suggests, you pay a (somewhat smaller) fee, keep the book for the semester, and return it at the end. Not all schools are offering this option, however, and may not be a choice available to you. Financially speaking, it’s the best of the “traditional methods”. That is, if you don’t want to keep your textbook in the end.

UNCONVENTIONAL
Borrow/buy from a friend who has already taken the class. Usually, students who no longer need their books are willing to let go of them for an affordable price relative to the bookstore’s fees. The trick is to find those who have books to get rid of. Ask classmates, friends, co-workers, and your online social networks.
Go halfsies with a classmate. Just like any other shared purchase, rules and guidelines need to be established and agreed upon (e.g. who will keep the book at the end of the semester or are we reselling it for cash?). One person will keep and use the actual book, while the other uses printed copies. Even buying new, this method has the potential to save you some bucks.
Buy an older edition of the book. Buying online can sometimes remain an option if you’re able to utilize an older edition of the required text. Nobody really knows what changes from one edition to the next, but teachers will usually advise as to whether or not an older version of the book is a prudent choice.
Ask the professor if you will realistically need the textbook, or if class notes and slides will supplement. You run the risk of making a bad impression early on with your teacher by asking this question. In some cases, the textbook is essential from the very first day. In others, you might go an entire semester without once using the text. Unfortunately, you typically can’t make this decision about the class until it’s in full swing. If you are confident the instructor will not be offended by the question, it could be a very advantageous move. Naturally, if they insist that the book is, indeed, necessary, revert back to the other options previously discussed.