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5 Ways to Save Money When Buying Textbooks

Avoid Purchasing New Releases

Whenever possible, you should avoid purchasing a textbook that has been newly released. New releases tend to be far more expensive than older editions. So, if you can hold out for awhile before purchasing your book, you can potentially save yourself quite a bit of money. In many cases, the changes to a new edition are so minimal that using the older edition in your class will be just fine.

Do Your Research

In many cases, a bit of research will go a long way toward helping you find a great deal on a textbook. Keep in mind that there are more places to look for textbooks than at your campus bookstore. Thrift stores, garage sales and even library book sales may yield some good deals. The Internet can also be a good resource for low textbook prices. Some textbooks are even available for free download.

Read Reviews

Reading reviews of textbooks can help you determine which ones are truly necessary. If your professor lists certain books as being optional or supplemental, for example, you might be able to save money by simply removing those books from your supply list. If the books weren't very helpful to other users, they probably won't serve you much good either.

Use the Public Library

While you won't find all of your textbooks at the public library, you might be able to find many of the titles you are looking for when you pay your library a visit. Using this resource offers one of the best ways to save money when buying textbooks. After all, when you borrow your textbook from the library, you don't spend a single penny and you get the book you need for your class. To take advantage of this resource, however, you will need to put the book on hold as soon as you find out which books you will need for your class.

Rent Your Books

Another way to save money on textbooks is to rent your books rather than purchasing them. By renting your textbooks, you can easily save anywhere from 50 to 85 percent off the cover cost. If you are concerned about using an older edition of the book, renting your textbooks is a great way to ensure you have the latest edition without having to pay new book prices. Since rental companies do not allow writing inside their texts, you can also be sure the book will be in good shape. If not, most companies will allow you to exchange your textbooks for another copy.