Whether you're a freshman, undergraduate or finishing up your graduate degree, we all know that textbooks are one of the most expensive parts of college, next to tuition. If you're stressed out about the money you're about to spend, don't fret! I've got 11 tips to help you save on college textbooks a this year.
1. Slugbooks
This is the absolute best way to save money on textbooks, and it's so easy. You just type in the ISBN number or title of your textbook and the site compares the prices for you. Check it out here.
2. Amazon Prime
If you're a student, you can use your student email to get a free 6-month trial on Amazon Prime, which includes free shipping. Shipping tends to add up, so this will save you a few bucks, which brings me to my next point...
3. Compare shipping prices.
Like I said, shipping can add up after a while. Sometimes, a book might be a few cents cheaper through Amazon than through AbeBooks.com. But sometimes, shipping is cheaper or free on AbeBooks, so it makes sense to buy the slightly more expensive copy and get cheaper or free shipping.
4. Rent what you won't use in the future.
If you're a History major, you're probably never going to use that math textbook from your freshman year ever again. Save yourself some money and rent whatever you can, but I'd highly recommend purchasing books from your major-specific courses.
5. Check out the campus bookstore prices.
While campus bookstores are notoriously known for their high prices, they occasionally have sales if you buy early. Sometimes, it's cheaper to rent or buy something from them than to have it shipped from a website.
6. Sell your old textbooks.
This doesn't directly help you save money, but it will give you some extra money to spend on textbooks. I always like selling my textbooks back to the bookstore or to Half-Price Books.
7. Buy an earlier edition.
In some cases, you'll be able to buy the most previous edition of the textbook and get through your class just fine. If the sixth edition is recommended, buy the fifth. You should check with your professor first, though, just to be safe.
8. Borrow books from your friends.
Know a friend or have an older sibling who took the class before you? Ask them to borrow their copy for the semester — it never hurts to ask and will save you tons of money.
9. Check your campus library.
Occasionally, the library on campus will have a copy of your textbook that you can borrow. If you get the chance, stop by and check it out. Be warned, though, that they may not have the copy and it's likely that you can only rent it days at a time.
10. Use E-texts.
E-texts are generally much cheaper to buy than physical textbooks. If you have an iPad, Kindle, or another device that you can download texts to, check this out.
11. Join a Facebook group.
Often, there are groups on Facebook dedicated to selling textbooks on campus. People also tend to sell them on "University Class of ___" sites, so always remember to check those out!
If you follow these 11 tips, you'll surely save lots of money on textbooks. Be sure to spend that money on important things, like ramen and your social life (but really — having a social life is pretty important). Good luck!
