Find the Cheapest Textbooks and Save Yourself Money

Let’s face it: you’re in a cash crunch.  Tuition is due, student loan money is released too slowly, your kids need school supplies – and you need to buy textbooks.  Textbooks can run several hundreds of dollars each year, so it’s important to find discounts so your textbooks are the cheapest possible price.

Get Your List of Textbooks

It is essential to get your list of textbooks directly from your professor or the university.  Don’t rely on other students or a previous semester’s syllabus.  You also should get the ISBN for each textbook, which is a unique 10 digit number that identifies that particular book and edition.

Remember that many publishers release new editions frequently, so you must be sure which edition your professor is using.

Forget Cheap Textbooks -- What About Free Textbooks?

Once you have the ISBN, check your local library and university library to see if they have your textbook.  Or ask if you can borrow the book from your professor or a former student for the semester.  In these cases you can’t highlight or take notes in the textbook, but you could save several hundred dollars.

If you are receiving financial aid, check with your counselor to see if you qualify for book vouchers or discounts.

Searching for Discount Textbooks

Don’t settle for your college bookstore’s price on textbooks.  The cheapest textbooks can usually be found online and are usually used.  Look for websites that include a description of the book’s condition.  Buying used textbooks carry some risk of missing or marked up pages, but as long as the seller is highly rated, you can usually depend on the description of the condition to be accurate.

If you are buying the textbook from a major website, be sure to review the return policy and estimate how long it will take to receive the book.  You don’t want to be caught at the beginning of the semester with no book.  If you are buying the textbook from an individual, make sure he or she has a large number of ratings from other buyers and that they are almost all positive (95%+).

Consider looking for e-textbooks.  While you don’t have the physical paper for notes and highlights, you can save considerable money and don’t have to lug around a bunch of books.  E-textbook versions may not be available for all your courses yet, but more are being added daily.

The best websites to use for buying and selling discount textbooks:

Amazon. The granddaddy of book websites, Amazon has a sophisticated rating system for sellers of used books and a reliable shipping and return policy.

Coursesmart. Offers 180-360 day subscriptions to e-textbooks that can be printed, highlighted or noted. Can return books within 14 days if less than 20% of the book has been read or printed.

Textbooks.com. This site allows you to buy and sell new and used textbooks and also purchase e-textbooks. Free shipping on orders over $25 and the condition on used books is guaranteed.

Sell Back Your Book. Specializing in purchasing used books, the company will pay your postage for sending them your book. You can check prices for your books before sending them off.

There is also a new iPhone App called Bigwords, which is a free application that will search 30 websites for the best price on new and used textbooks, including shipping charges.

The most important thing to remember when buying or selling textbooks is to shop around and compare prices.  These books are a major part of your investment in education and has finally become a competitive marketplace.

Source:http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/app-of-the-week-textbooks-discounts/