Savvy Ways To Save On Textbooks
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College is expensive - there is no doubt about it. Not only do you have to account for tuition fees, but also, there’s living costs and the cost of textbooks. This can all add up to an intimidating amount, and it’s absolutely understandable if you’re looking for ways to cut down on costs when and where you can. An ideal place to start cost-cutting is in the textbook department. Although the high prices of textbooks can be bewildering and infuriating, they do play an integral part in the learning process. This article has compiled some of the best-known - (and lesser-known) - ways that you can cut down on textbook costs and keep on top of your coursework at the same time.
Short Loan Library: Not all universities may offer short loan services, but this advice is still applicable to a normal library service. With a short loan, you are able to borrow a book for a very limited amount of time that could range anywhere from two hours to three days. It’s completely free, so this is a brilliant way for saving money if you’re very low on cash. By borrowing a book from a short loan, you can complete your readings, take notes, and photocopy important pages and information. However, there are certain limitations to short loans, such as if you go over the stated borrowing time period, then you will be fined. Also, you are obviously not allowed to highlight, or make any other markings in the book.
The Pre-Owned Book Section: Try checking if there is a pre-owned book section in your university bookshop where former students have sold back their books. These books are often barely used and are usually much cheaper than buying brand new. You may also want to consider selling back your newly-purchased books when you’re done with them, in order to compensate for some of the cost. Keep in mind that you are usually not allowed to sell back pre-owned books, and the books may have been highlighted/marked in a way that is inconvenient for you.
E-Library: The E-Library is a lot like a normal library, except that you can access selected books from the comfort of your room (if you have a computer and internet connection) and read them at your leisure. Most universities have their own E-Library, and they are usually pretty easy to access. Your school username and password are usually all that’s needed to access essential reading information. You should still keep in mind that maybe not all relevant textbooks are available via your university’s E-Library.
Facebook page: Has your student community formed a Facebook page (or another website) where students can buy and sell used textbooks to each other? If it has, then it is definitely worth a look. Textbooks sold via the Facebook page often tend to be even cheaper than textbooks found in the used book section of the university /-bookshop. Although in saying this, you should keep in mind that these books are used, and so may already be highlighted/marked.
Cheap Textbook Websites: Are you old school? Do you need a physical book? Or do you just like to save money? If you prefer to purchase a physical textbook outright, try searching for the cheapest places to purchase on the following 6 websites. Slugbooks.com (a price comparison website), AbeBooks.com, ValoreBooks.com, AddAll.com, Chegg.com and Half.com.
Spending money on textbooks is a real annoyance and shame when you consider all the other financial matters you still have to account for. But with these savvy ways for saving on textbooks, you should be in a much better financial state to tackle the rest of the school year. You never know, you might even have enough left in your bank account to plan an interstate or overseas trip!