4 Ways to Save Money on Textbooks
Textbook Stack (Photo credit: greenasian)
It seems like every year textbook prices go higher and higher. It is definitely a troubling reality for most college students, as the soaring costs of textbooks mean that college overall will be more expensive this year than it was last year. There is no real reason why college textbooks keep rising in price, other than the laws of supply and demand. As college tuition becomes more expensive, so does everything else that relates to college- including the prices of staying in a dormitory, the prices of food on campus and the prices of textbooks. It can be very frustrating that is for sure, because most college students do not have much money in the first place and the added costs of textbooks are just another burden on their pocket books. But, fear not, there are some things you can do in order to lower the overall costs of textbooks. Some ways are easier than others, but the following list will provide you with four ways in which you can save money on textbooks:
Way to Save Money #1. Do Not Shop at the School Bookstore
The school bookstore may be the most convenient way to purchase textbooks for your college classes, but there are plenty of additional costs and markup values that come into the equation when doing so. Instead of purchasing your class textbooks at the college bookstore, you should plan ahead and start searching around online and on sites like Craig’s List, Amazon and E-Bay. These sites tend to have most textbooks on the market and for much cheaper costs than you would find at a college bookstore. The books purchased online may be used, and have a little wear and tear, but that does not really matter- as long as it has all the pages, you will be just fine.
Way to Save Money #2. Sell Them After You Are Done With Them
Textbooks tend to still be worth money after they have been used. So, right when you are done with the textbook and have finished the class, you should strike while the iron is hot and sell the textbook right away. Typically, the price for the used book will not be a high as it was when you bought it (if it was brand new,) but, in the end, it will be worth something and will end up cutting the costs that were initially paid for the college textbook.
Way to Save Money #3. Rent on Kindle
The eReader Kindle tends to offer textbooks and other reading materials that can simply be rented instead of bought outright. So, if the textbook is only needed for one quarter or semester, then all you would have to do is rent it out instead of buying it. Of course, the rental is for a much lower price than what would be shelled out for a physical version of the textbook.
Joan is a freelance writer for a host of web sites. She went to college, and spent tons of money on textbooks before learning these tricks, while studying Vermont Law.
Category: Education
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