This week I purchased my second semester of college textbooks. Let me just say "ouch" for a second. Unfortunately, we live in a world where not only is the cost of college itself absolutely ridiculous, but so is the cost of supplementary materials. Dropping three figures on books I'll be using for four months hurts.
Even just since buying my first semester books, I've learned a lot about where, when, and how to shop for textbooks. In honor of having my new textbooks in hand, we're talking about them today.
Tips for buying textbooks:
- Compare Prices. I've discovered a wonderful tool for comparing textbook prices from all the leading sellers: Slugbooks.com is a gem of a resource, and I highly recommend you use it. Taking the extra few minutes to compare prices from several online sellers will ensure that you're not getting ripped off.
- Find out if you absolutely need the newest edition. A lot of times, previous editions of textbooks aren't that different than the newest ones. Talk to your professor (and students who've already taken the class!) before class starts to find out if the newest edition is necessary.
- Avoid the bookstore. That is, avoid it unless you absolutely cannot. Your school bookstore is going to sell you textbooks for full markup, whereas a website like Amazon might be able to offer you 30%+ off. Unless you're dealing with a case similar to mine this semester -- when you need a book that's out of print and you know your bookstore has it -- just steer clear.
- Take advantage of renting/buying from other students. If you don't mind used copies of textbooks, it can be a great idea to find students who might be willing to sell or rent their copy to you. They're usually much more gracious about pricing than even an online used bookstore would be. Just make sure that you know how they want you to treat the book (aka, are they ok with dog-earing, highlighting, etc.).
Keep not settling,
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