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Saving Big Money Buying Used College Textbooks

November 4, 8:20 PMLouisville Parenting ExaminerLori Soard
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Textbook
Be careful of which edition you're buying.

As if college isn't costly enough, the price of textbooks is absolutely prohibitive. With a single book costing as much as $200 or $300 at times, you can easily see how books can put a real dent in your educational budget. However, buy used and you can save hundreds of dollars over the course of your school career.

For example, one class might have a book that is $118.00 new and another book that is $88.00 new. Simply by choosing used from your university bookstore, you can save around 25 percent.

To save even more, shop around online at the following sites:

  • Bookfinder.com - This site spiders other book sites and finds the lowest price on textbooks. Search by ISBN, Title or Author. You'll save an average of 50 percent.
  • Ebay.com - Shop early before others start looking for the same book and you can easily snag a used copy of your textbook for as much as 80 or 90 percent off. Watch shipping charges as they can add a lot to the cost of your book order.
  • Amazon.com - Offers a used books option. While you may find your textbook new at Amazon and still save a little off the price of the new copies at your college bookstore, the real deals come from the used books section. Compare the condition and pricing between copies or email the seller with questions.

Another option is to buy your books directly from students currently in the class. If you know any of the students currently taking the class, offer to give 10% more than the bookstore is offering. You will likely get an excellent deal and the other student will make a little extra money.

 

Imagine how much you can save during a four year college stint! Hundreds of dollars and maybe thousands.


 

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