Cheaper Textbooks - Buy Used
It seems the more programs put in place to make college more accessible and affordable for the average family, the higher the cost of all of the "accessories" you need for college. You know, things like BOOKS! The cost of college textbooks is simply astronomical. Some classes require books that cost more than the class itself does. When you walk into the campus bookstore with a list of books you need to get, you had better first have a calculator that can handle large numbers to add up what they will cost you.
May I make a suggestion? Don’t go into to campus bookstore to buy your books. But wait! They offer used books there, so you can save that way, right? Wrong! The used prices offer only a slight discount over new, especially when you compare the pennies on the dollar that the bookstore bought the books back from the previous user for.
There is a much better way, but it will take some planning and preparation on your part. Buy your books from eBay! You might think that would be too hit or miss or that it may be too hard to find your books there, but it is really a smart way to save.
The first thing you want to do is contact every professor whose class you will be taking and get a complete list of the books that will be required for each class. It is imperative that you not only get the complete title of each book, but that you also get the edition that will be required as well as the author’s name. If you miss getting verification of any of these things, you will have a very strong change of showing up in class with the wrong book. By then, you will have no choice but to go to the overpriced campus bookstore and then just hope and pray that the title you need is still in stock.
While you are getting the book list, also be sure to get a syllabus. This will help you to know what order that you will need to get your books in. If there is a book that will not be used until mid semester, you can wait until after the semester starts to get that book. You might even get a better deal on it because you won’t be in the thick of the book-buying season.
Write out a complete list of the books you will need and check off as each book is located, ordered, and received. By passing this step and relying on your memory is just asking for trouble. Before you start ordering, determine if it will bother you if books are marked in with pen, pencil, or highlighter. There are definite benefits to having a book that someone else has already marked key passages, but that might be something that would be a distraction to you, then you might restrict your shopping to only new books or ones who assure they are marking-free!
Because you have to deal with ordering and shipping, you should start buying your textbooks no later than three weeks before classes are starting. As they arrive, don’t forget to mark them off on your checklist. If a book doesn’t arrive within a day or two of when you expect it, contact the seller immediately to check the status. That way, if there are delays, lost packages, etc. You will have time to correct the issue before classes start.
The books available on eBay are frequently 50%, 75%, or even 90% LESS than you might pay at a bookstore. And then, at the end of the semester, you can sell your books BACK through eBay and get a good percentage of your money back for each one. SWEET!!!
It would be fun to keep track of your savings throughout your college career. The savings should be enough to pay a huge chunk of your student loan debt or even make a down payment on a small house!
So, you're a "college student" now. Start out by buying smart.