Going to purchase books for your upcoming semester? Well, being in college we have to cover many expenses apart from tuition and hostel fees. College textbooks are costly, and each semester you are going to have different subjects. Textbooks can really add hefty sum of amount into your expenses.
With little planning, you can smartly save money over the Textbooks. Here I am going to share plenty of ways for you to save money on college textbooks. So, let us get started.
Wait for the first day of your class
Whenever the semester is going to start people just go through purchasing textbooks without giving it a second thought. This is the biggest mistake that you should avoid. It is better to wait for the first day of the class.
Buying books without proper knowledge is never a good thing. Most of the professors use to refer to better books rather than one available in the curriculum and in that case you may end up wasting your money on a different one. Also, it may be that professor may provide you with the reading materials of the subjects which may save you from spending a hefty amount on textbooks.
Not bringing books in the class can be a huge risk, but not for the first day. On the first day itself, you will get a proper idea of which textbook to buy.
Take books from the University Library
The University library or local library is really a great option to borrow textbooks and save money on textbooks. Whenever you are going to buy a textbook, just take a look at your University library. The University library contains almost all of the textbooks mentioned in your Syllabus.
For the tip, if you are going to get a textbook from the library, then you should go ahead of your semester. As the semester starts other people will also go to the library to get the textbook and you may end up not getting the textbook you want. So, it is better to hurry in this case.
Rent your Textbooks
It is most likely that most of your textbooks are needed for next semester. Renting a textbook is now a day becoming really popular for expensive and short-term required textbooks. Before going to purchase a book, you must look at any book rental service available near your campus. You can also rent a textbook from online sites like Amazon, CampusBook, and sellbackyourBook.com.
While renting a textbook be careful with the physical condition of the textbook, as they need to be in excellent condition while returning or you may end up extra charge for that.
Go for Older Editions
An older edition of the textbook is cheap in comparison to the latest edition. You should consider purchasing an older edition to save money on textbooks.
However, you should verify with your professor if the older edition is acceptable or not.
Buy Used Textbooks from Shop
Since most of the textbook will be only required for a single semester. It is better to go for used books rather than purchasing a new one.
Used textbooks are priced at almost one-third to half of the original price and it can really help you save an ample amount of money.
Buy Textbooks from your seniors
It is really great to stay connected with your seniors, as they are good mentors to help you with almost all your queries. If you want to come across the best material and textbooks related to your subject, it is good to ask your seniors.
Even if you don’t know your seniors properly, you can connect with them online or reach out to them for guidance. As they have already completed the semester, you can simply ask them for the semester books and purchase from them at a cheap rate.
Share textbooks with friends
Well, sharing a textbook is a really good option to go for. If you have friends in the same course, all you can do to save money is share.
You can borrow textbooks from your friends for some time and you can lend yours to them. This will divide your expenses on textbooks.
Get it Online For Free
Nowadays, most of the books can be found online and can be downloaded in pdf form. There are plenty of websites which offer free text version of books like Amazon, Project Gutenberg, and Google books. You can also search for a free pdf of the related books on Google and download the PDF version.
Search for eBook Version
Ebooks are usually cheaper in comparison to physical books. You can buy an eBook version of a textbook from online websites like Amazon.
You can easily read eBooks on your Smartphone and PC/Laptop with the help of eBook Applications. It will really help you save money on physical books.
Sell Your unnecessary Books
At the end of the semester, just check the book that is no longer required and sell it right away. While you will not get all your money back, but selling your book will help you earn some amount and use it to purchase next semester’s books.
Check out for second-hand book store and sell it there, you can also sell it online. Always check on multiple stores before selling your book as it will help you get a better price for your used books.
Conclusion
There are many ways to save money on your textbooks. You should always look in multiple stores for better and discounted price before purchasing it. Use the tips shared above to manage expenses on your textbooks properly. Thank you for reading this article, please provide your valuable feedback in the comment section below.