Finding Cheap Textbooks

One of the most expensive parts of going to school can be the cost of books (depending on your program). In my university program my average books costs per semester were $600. One of my books cost $160 and I never used it once. Sometimes I feel that textbooks are a huge waste of money. Most of  my books were rarely used. Professors just used slides from the book and posted them online or didn't refer to the book at all. Anyways, in most cases it is important to buy the books. Here are a few tips to saving money.

1) Buy Used Books: If they are available buy them used. You'll save a lot of money and most times they are in great condition. You can find offers throughout the campus from other students or from your campus bookstore. You can buy used books online too. Textbookexchange.ca is a Canadian site where you can buy and sell textbooks but I have never used this site.

2) Compare Prices Online: This is something I tried this semester and I wished I had done it all along. Most of the books I ordered arrived in a few days and I saved about 30%. One of my textbooks costs $170 in my bookstore and was $116 online. Be sure to use trusted websites. I recommend Chapters.indigo.ca and Amazon.ca.

3) Buy Electronic Texts: I bought one text book from Coursesmart and saved over $100. I got a subscription for 180 days and could access it online anytime. This is perfect for anyone that brings a laptop to school or you can do what I did and just print what you need.

4) Share: If you have are really good friend in your class, you can buy one textbook and split the costs.

Don't be afraid to shop around for textbooks. It takes a little time but you can save a lot. I saved more than $180 on my textbooks this semester.

Related Links:
What can we do about textbook prices?
How Textbook Publishers Manipulate Costs for Students
University Tuition and Fees Calculator
Recommended Read: The Host

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