But there are a lot of ways you can get what you need at a deep discount or better yet without paying a dime!
When you are buying used books, buy in stores or preferably online, as early as possible, and comparison shop websites that offer international editions.
They're usually significantly cheaper than the US versions with only slight differences.
Abebooks.com is one option.
And you may be able to get free textbooks online. On Freeload Press, you can download a limited selection at no cost, but you'll have to fill out a short survey and look at ads that are placed within the textbook.
Bartleby is another free download site.
Also consider renting your textbooks.
Chegg.com says it can save you up to 85-percent.
BookRenter.com is a similar company.
You can also download e-textbooks and save about 50-percent off the price of new print copies.
To go digital, try CourseSmart.com and iChapters.com.
And finally, don't forget to ask your professors if they have sample copies you can borrow and see if your library has copies.
Also sometimes a professor doesn't use all the books on the so-called required list so ask former students or TAs to see what you really need to buy.
Meantime, here's another option for renting. The nation's largest textbook publisher, Cengage Learning, will start renting books directly to students this fall at up to 70 percent off the regular price.
LINKS:
www.abebooks.com
www.freeloadpress.com
www.bartleby.com
www.chegg.com
www.bookrenter.com
www.coursesmart.com
www.ichapters.com
www.cengagelearning.com
More money-related links:
- Save money with Local Coupons
- Coupon Bug helps you save cash
- Saving with 6abc reports
- Share on the Saving with 6abc Message Board
- Track your stocks
- Follow Action News on Twitter
- Get Action News on your website
- Follow Action News on Facebook
- The latest Philadelphia headlines from the Delaware and Lehigh valleys
