Cheap textbooks..... well, cheaper anyway.

Hello friends,

This is a practical post for college students and the parents who pay for it... If your kids are in high school, consider bookmarking this page or pinning it to your pinterest college board for quick access later!

Most universities make schedules and book requirements available online a month or two before classes start. While I really don't want to think ahead all that far, the practical side of me wants to save a few dollars wherever we can. Using the tips and resources below, we saved 25.66% on Nathan's books for fall semester. It's easy!

Here's how to do it:

1.  Look up courses and book requirements at the school website (through the student portal).
2. Record title, ISBN numbers (copy and paste to a document if you can) and school bookstore prices. We recorded prices of used/new books.
3. Use the same information (essentially the ISBN number) to search prices on other websites:
• Amazon
• Textbooks.com
• Chegg.com
4. At each site, make sure you know the condition of the book -- especially workbooks and books that include CDs -- as well as tax and shipping costs. 
5. Record the prices by site and make your purchases.
6. In a separate mailbox or file on your email, create a folder to save receipts.

Here's how it worked for us.

1. Nathan needs a total of six textbooks. At the school bookstore the used book cost was $318.70 and the new book cost was $424.80 (OUCH!)
2. We found three used books at textbooks.com for $123.83, free shipping.
3. We found a new workbook and another used textbook at Amazon for $64.64, free shipping.
4. Our total cost for five books was $188.47.
5. One book was not available at any site (new edition for 2012), so we will purchase it through the school for $89. Our grand total is $277.47, a 13% savings over all used prices and a 35% savings over new prices. Since we purchased some used and some new books, the total savings worked out to about 25%.

Some helpful tips.

1. If purchasing books to use over multiple semesters, consider buying new or "like new" used books so that it lasts as long as you need it.
2. If purchasing workbooks, consider buying new (we bought one). Is it really a time-saver or a benefit to use a workbook someone else already used? Figure out the answers yourself, using a new book.
3. Make sure books include everything they would if new, including CDs and pullout maps. You might need them!

College is expensive, but with a just a little time invested, you can rein in costs. Our two hour investment saved over $100, well worth the time.

Hope that helps.

Karen