Now that my coursework for my Bachelor of Social Work is over and I never have to buy another overpriced textbook again, I thought I would share the wisdom that I have gained in saving money on those aforementioned overpriced books.When I tell people about how I get my books, I'm often met with blank stares and comments like "why couldn't you have told me about that three years ago!" Some of this is common sense and others just seem stupid, I'm sure. But if they help you save as much money as they've saved me, it will be worth the read.
Old Editions
The first thing I'd like to note is that you can almost always use older editions of textbooks, even if the instructor says not to. You might have to borrow a friend's book to see how they match up, but what usually happens is that publishers will add a little bit of new content and then mix the chapters up a bit. Maybe update some pictures. Nothing more. All of the learning is still there for the taking.
Bulletin Boards
Every school has bulletin boards in them, and there are even places that are designated for book selling. A few minutes scouring these boards can save big money for students. And as was mentioned before, don't dismiss old editions. They will do.
Online Booksellers
I have bought the majority of my books from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. They usually have the textbooks you need and they're usually about 30% cheaper than buying them from your school bookstore. You should order them early, though, just in case they take a while to ship. A trick to this is finding out the books you need early. I usually email a prof right after I register and ask which books are going to be used. They're more than happy to help.
School Library
Your school has a library that is stacked with books and journals. I have found that about 30% of the textbooks that I have used have also been available in the library. Sometimes it's the older edition, but as we have learned, that's ok most of the time. The only problem with this way of getting books is that you only have the book for a short time. While you can renew, if someone else puts it on hold, you will have to return it or pay the fine. Still, a good resource.
Other People
I have borrowed and bought a lot of textbooks from friends. If you find out who has taken the course before you, you can ask if the person has the book to lend you. Or maybe they want to sell it. This way, you not only get the book, but maybe you can get some good advice on the course. If you're really inspired, you can even set up an email list so all of your cohort can trade books back and forth. This option is especially applicable to social workers, now isn't it?
Well, that's about it. With these ways of getting books, I've saved more than 50% on what I was supposed to have paid for textbooks over my four years of studying. Oh, and always remember to sell or give away the books that you don't want to save for future reference, thus passing along the good karma and helping other save money, too.
6 comments:
Not to mention that if you don't sell your books right away they'll be worthless. Let's be honest, you're not going to read them again--regardless of how many times you say you are: the info is outdated and you'd be better off keeping up-to-date with industry research.
the best site i found is affordabook.com. it is especially easy to use if you have the isbn number for the text. i would usually go to the bookstore, scope out what was assigned for my class, get the isbn numbers off them and head straight for affordabook. what they do is list everyone everywhere that has the book for the lowest price and present it to you in a nice table with links to the places. if they don't have it then i usually go to amazon and check for used ones.
That's a great site. I'll have to bookmark it for future reference. Thanks, prin.
Another really good tip is using search engine based websites like, http://www.bigwords.com to search for the best possible deal out there online.
I recommend using a price comparison site like CampusBooks.com when buying your books. It searches all of the major websites to find you the best deal. It even searches book rental and e-book companies.
At the end of the semester, use BookScouter.com to find the website that is paying the most for you book (most even pay for shipping).
I stumbled upon this entry randomly, but at my school there's a site that lists books for each class and price comparison on amazon book.ly . It supports several other schools too. Maybe they can add yours if you email them (they added my friends when he did).
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