For most college students, textbooks are a necessary evil; a required element of higher education that empties your wallet and gives you a headache. With a few tips, however, textbooks can be transformed from the bane of your existence to, dare I say, educational.
Shop Around: The internet is the greatest comparison shopping tools ever, so be sure to take advantage of it. Luckily, there are many websites which make it easy; some of the best being BigWords and CampusBooks. Both of these sites search through hundreds of online textbook websites, and then display the various prices side by side so that you can make the best decision.
Avoid The Bookstore: Most of the time the textbooks at college bookstores are more expensive, and often the buyback price is low. It never hurts to include the bookstore as you shop around, but always compare prices before you settle on the bookstore.
Auction Sites: Websites like eBay are fantastic for finding good deals on textbooks. Since there is no middle man (besides eBay’s low listing fees) you can easily save some money. Be aware, however, that the savings can come at a price; sometimes the auction route can lead to misrepresented items, books arriving in poor condition, or delayed shipping times.
Rent!: One of the fastest growing sectors of the textbook market is online textbook rental. The concept is simple; you rent the books you need for the semester, often at a fraction of the purchase price, then return them when the semester is over. This is by far the most convenient textbook option, and is specifically nice because you don’t have to worry about getting ripped off when you try to sell you textbooks back.
Coupons: A general rule of thumb is to never pay full price for anything online, and textbooks are no exception. A quick search of a coupon site like RetailMeNot.com will most likely reveal several deals just waiting to be taken advantage of; for example, anyone renting textbooks from TextbookStop.com can use the coupon code scholarlydeal to save 10%! Wherever your textbook search leads you, be sure that it always includes a coupon or discount.
Well there you have it! Good luck on saving some money this next semester, and make sure that once you have your textbooks you actually read them once or twice!
Daniel is a writer for 
