Saving On Textbooks

When I was in college, my parents made me a pretty sweet deal. They'd pay tuition and room and board for me. However, I had to pay fees and for my college textbooks.

As anybody who has taken courses that require textbook purchases knows, books cost a lot. Not as much as tuition/room and board (Thanks Mom and Dad!), but to my 18 year old self, it seemed insane how much I was going to have to shell over. I worked hard for that money, and I wanted to keep as much as possible.

Even fresh out of high school, I was a comparison shopper. I quickly learned that the bookstore rarely had the best deal. In both college and graduate school, I rarely purchased textbooks at the bookstore.

My current job gives me the same deal- they'll pay tuition, but textbooks and fees are on me. Now that I take classes with my work benefits, I continue to use the same strategy, outlined below:

1. Check the library. Not just your college library- be sure to check out inter-library loan and any other borrowing privileges you may have at your college library. I went to college in Colorado, where we had Prospector. This linked up all the University libraries and some public libraries in Colorado. I was usually able to renew. When I had to turn a book in, I'd check the computer to see if it was on hold. If not, I'd put it back on hold immediately. I usually got it back in a few days. I was not able to get everything at the library, but I was surprised at how much I did get.

Be sure to check the public library in your college town as well. I was able to get a library card for the town I was in even though I was just a college student who lived in the dorms.

2. Check the bookstore's website or the store. Don't buy yet! See how much the books are and get the ISBN number of all the books you need. Now most bookstores have this information online, so you may not even have to leave your home.

3. Go online. I start with Amazon because I find they usually have the best used prices. This semester, I used my Swagbucks gift cards to pay for part of my Amazon textbook order!

Search by ISBN number so you can be sure you're getting the correct edition, etc. Then head out to the other options. I like to go to Ebates and type in "textbooks" in the search box. It will come up with several options that you can check out, PLUS cash back if you buy there! Score! If you find a book cheaper than the bookstore option, you can order here. Be sure to account for shipping!


4. Bookstore: If you have not found books significantly cheaper, you can head to the bookstore. Be sure to check if your bookstore has any type of rewards program, discount for student workers, etc. Be sure to get their return policy and KEEP YOUR RECEIPT.

Other options: Craigslist has a place to list textbooks. Every college I've attended/worked at has a boards all over campus filled with fliers from students who are selling their textbooks. You can rent textbooks online. My husband used to trade with his roommate (who had the same major) for the semester. You can also try services like Paperback Swap, but I have not had much luck for textbooks with them.

How do you save money on textbooks?

Frugal Friday: College Books

Welcome Frugal Friday folks!

Here's a tip to cut book expenses for the college set:

My parents were extremely generous and paid for my tuition and room and board. Books and fees were up to me. I could not do much about fees, but after buying my first semester books to the tune of about $300 and only getting $50 back when the semester ended, resolved to find a cheaper way to do it. Here's what I did from that day on:

1. The library. It was amazing to me how many textbooks the school library had. The ones that were not in the library (or were checked out by other clever students) were often available by interlibrary loan. (If you're a University student in Colorado or some parts of Wyoming, learn to use Prospector. Prospector is awesome.)

"But Frugal!" you say. "My classes last sixteen weeks and I can only check out books for two or four weeks!"

That was true for me. I did my best to get around that. I was usually able to see if a book was on hold or not via the computer catalog system. (It would say "Checked Out +holds at my school if it was on hold.) If it was on hold, I would see if it was available by interlibrary loan and put that copy on hold. If not, I would turn it in and check it out again the next day. I also would find out the name of the book before the semester started and put it on hold before school started from the comfort of my office computer. It was usually there waiting for me the first day of classes. This system worked reasonably well for me.

Sometimes a book was just not available at the library. That's when I'd check the cost of used books at the bookstore. I'd then compare them to online resources, such as Amazon. I found used books for a fraction of the price on Amazon and Half.com.

For example- here's a Bio textbook that is listed on Amazon at 117.11 new, but you can get a used copy as low as $39.50. Sometimes they only had new copies, but it was still cheaper than the bookstore. Amazon had free shipping on orders over $25 even when I was a student, which saved me even more money. Plus they deliver to your door, so you don't have to go stand in that long, aggravating line at the store. WOO HOO!

At the end of the semester, I'd sell them back to my University bookstore, often turning a profit and almost always getting back what I paid. I would sell them online these days, but I was not as selling savvy then as I am today.

If they were not available at the library or online for a decent price, I would shell out for a used copy. I usually had to buy at least one book a semester, but one is better than seven or eight!

Doing these two things saved me an absolute fortune in books over my six years of college and grad school. It does take time and a bit more research than just going to the bookstore and picking up books. For me, the money I saved was more than worth it!

For more Frugal Friday ideas, go here!