With the spring semester starting for some and already started for most students, college textbooks are expensive and it’s tough to avoid paying for them. Your professor writes the book, forces you to buy it for $100, and then changes the edition every year so you can’t sell it back.
With that in mind, remember that the book itself is worthless. It only has value because they force you to use it. Once they make a newer edition, your copy will be worth $0. Here are some tips to limit the damage.
Buy Used. This is kind of a no-brainer. If you can’t find used books locally, try Amazon.com. Just make sure you get the correct edition.
E-Books. Most colleges and universities are switching to using e-books or electronic books. Most of them are a much lower cost than textbooks, and some schools may offer these books for free. Check with your school bookstore.
Use the Library. Don’t buy the book – just use the reserve copy at the school library. If you have to read a novel for an English class, check it out from the school or town library.
Always Sell Back. Once the class is over, most people never look at their textbook again. So sell it now while it still has value. If you change your mind, you’ll be able to buy it back later for cheap.
Returns. Understand the return policy for your books. Opening a DVD can make the item unreturnable. The worst thing is buying a textbook for a class you never take!
Borrow From a Friend. Find a friend who took the class last semester and foolishly decided to keep the book. Borrow it.
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