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How to Compare Prices for Cheap Used Textbooks
by Caroline Tung Richmond
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Overview
Whether you attend a two-year or four-year college, the price of gaining a higher education can prove to be expensive. Students must pay for their tuition, room and board, food, and textbooks (not to mention class fees and travel too). Yet students can keep their costs down by purchasing used books rather than new ones. To compare prices for used textbooks, you should research prices at your college bookstore and various online shops before you make your purchase.
How to Compare Prices for Cheap Used Textbooks
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Step 1
Call or visit your university bookstore to find out the prices of used textbooks. Gather a list of books you need for the semester and locate the books in the store. Write down the prices to compare with other stores.
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Step 2
Visit book comparison websites like CollegeSwapShop.com or AllBookstores.com. (See Resources.) Type in the title, author, or ISBN number of a book to locate the text you need. Once the search is complete, these sites will offer you a price chart of your book at various websites. Scroll through the chart to search for the cheapest book. Bookmark the webpage or write down the cheapest price for the book.
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Step 3
Visit additional websites to compare prices further. Comparison sites may not provide a comprehensive list of discount bookstores on the web. You should check out prices at Whereismybook.com, DirectTextBook.com, and Ecampus.com also. (See Resources.) Bookmark the webpage or write down the cheapest price you find.
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Step 4
Compare prices and quality of the books you need for class. If you wish to buy the book online, remember to factor in shipping costs.
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Step 5
If you are unable to find a book for the price you want, check to see if the book is available at your university library. If your instructor has placed the book on reserve, then you may borrow the book for a few hours or a few days at a time, depending on your library's policy.
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- Consider renting a textbook from a site like Chegg.com or BookRenter.com. You will need to pay a rental and shipping fee, but the fees should be less expensive than purchasing a text.
If you are unable to afford a textbook, ask your intructor if she has any extra copies she can loan you for the semester. Some have one or two extra copies of books for their courses and may be willing to loan them out.
To save more money, remember to sell your books once the semester is over. You may sell your books online or to your college bookstore (make sure to consult the store's buy-back policy). You may also sell your book to another student at your school who is in need of the text.
- Consider renting a textbook from a site like Chegg.com or BookRenter.com. You will need to pay a rental and shipping fee, but the fees should be less expensive than purchasing a text.
- If you are unable to afford a textbook, ask your intructor if she has any extra copies she can loan you for the semester. Some have one or two extra copies of books for their courses and may be willing to loan them out.
- To save more money, remember to sell your books once the semester is over. You may sell your books online or to your college bookstore (make sure to consult the store's buy-back policy). You may also sell your book to another student at your school who is in need of the text.
- Remember to get the specific edition of the book that was assigned, as later editions may contain corrections, amended content and additional text not included in earlier editions.
- Remember to get the specific edition of the book that was assigned, as later editions may contain corrections, amended content and additional text not included in earlier editions.
