Image by mpccormi on Flickr
Textbooks can be a huge bummer. Not only do you have to read countless pages to keep up with classes, but you also have to pay hundreds of dollars for them! A typical textbook costs around $100. With a full course load, that’s about $800-$1000 a year just on books. So, before you head into your school’s bookstore next year and pay full price for textbooks, consider these alternatives:
- Discount bookstore. Usually found just outside of campus, discount bookstores sell the textbooks you need at a cheaper price than your school’s bookstore.
- Buy used. Ask friends and other students who have taken the class to sell you their textbooks. Your school’s bookstore may even sell used copies. It may not look as nice as a brand new book but you can save a lot of money.
- Rent. This is for anyone who doesn’t want to go through all the hassle of reselling their book. This is also a great option for textbooks that will release a new edition in the following year. Instead of holding onto an unsellable old edition, rent! Rent books through your school’s bookstore or online on websites such as Textbookrental, Rentbooks, or Bigmama.
- Borrow. Your school’s library is certainly going to have every textbook you need. The only issue is that you won’t be able to keep it the whole term. Photocopy any important pages you may need when you have to return your book.
- E-textbooks. Not everyone’s top choice, but e-textbooks are cheap and ultra-portable. Everyone carries around a laptop or tablet to school, so why not lighten the load on your back and have your book in your electronic device instead? Since you save on printing costs, e-textbooks are significantly cheaper than a physical book.
- Online bookstores. Locazu, Bookmob, Slugbooks, Bookbyte and Amazon are just a few of the several websites out there that sell new and used textbooks. The only con is that you will have to wait for your textbooks to be shipped. Some websites such as Chegg give you access to an online version of the textbook while you wait for your physical book to arrive.
- Other online websites. Look through Kijiji, Craigslist, Ebay and even textbook exchange groups on Facebook.