It’s no secret that textbooks are among the largest expense in college. The sad part is, sometimes you’ll spend hundreds of dollars to use the textbook only once! Save your pennies and learn how to actually save money on textbooks with these 11 clever tips you’ll keep coming back to.
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How to Budget Your Money in College
Before we dive into the tips, I’m going to give you one of the best pieces of financial advice you might ever hear. Ready? It’s pretty simple: budget your money. This applies to your textbooks, housing expenses, tuition, spending cash, and more. Being able to master the art of budgeting can help you really enjoy your college experience and decrease your stress. It is also a key strategy in being able to afford textbooks!
So, how do you actually budget your money? Great question! Here are initial steps to jumpstart your money-planning and creating a successful budget:
- Decide on Your Time Frame: Do you want a weekly budget? Monthly Budget?
- Create a Budget Spreadsheet: Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! You can download my FREE budget spreadsheet here to get started!
- Evaluate Your Income: How much money do you have coming in? Include financial aid here.
- Create Your Categories: What do you usually spend money on? Food, rent, tuition, textbooks?
- Learn More: Find out more about budgeting and how to afford everything you need in college in my Budgeting 101 Post
Related: Everything You Need to Know to Create Your First Budget
11 Tips to Save Money on Textbooks
Alright, now that you know how to budget your money and afford these crazy-expensive books, let’s learn the top tips to save money on textbooks to help you stretch those dollars!
1. Check if Textbooks are Required
Skip the college bookstore and go straight to the source… check your syllabus (or directly ask your professor) to see whether or not your textbook is actually required. Sometimes, you might get lucky and the answer is no, even if the book store says yes!
You can also take a look at your syllabus and see if any of the assignments reference the textbook. For example, if a homework assignment say something like “Chapter 4 Questions 5-25,” chances are you’ll need it.
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2. Wait to Purchase until the End of the First Week
If you can’t get ahold of your professor, don’t have access to your syllabus, or simply don’t want to bother anyone before class starts, then simply just wait until the first week of classes to purchase your textbooks. By the end of day one, you should know whether or not you’ll need it.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money in College
3. Purchase from a Previous Student
If your textbook is required, first try to purchase your textbook from another student. This usually is a win-win, as they get some money back too! Some colleges have student social media groups simply to exchange textbooks, so do some digging.
Pro Tip: It is usually really difficult to sell back lose-leaf textbooks, so if there is a lose-leaf textbook option being sold at your bookstore, chances are you’ll easily be able to find a student with one they can’t sell back! But, be sure to get a really good binder to house your book in. I ALWAYS use these binders for my textbooks. They never ruin the pages, are a great price, and last forever.
4. Split the Cost with Another Student
Do you have a friend or roommate in the same class? Think about splitting the cost of the textbook with them!
5. Shop Around
Next, try different websites and stores to see where you can find the best deals. You can also compare prices by type (new vs. used vs. digital vs. digital rental). Here are some of my favorite textbook sellers I always turn to:
6. Purchase Used or Rent
You can also try to purchase books from retailers that have been previously used. This is almost always cheaper! You can also try to simply rent the textbook from a website, or rent a digital copy!
7. Look into Earlier Editions
Many times, different textbook editions will have mostly same information, just slightly different formatting or photos. If your textbook offers an earlier edition, be sure to check with your professor to see if it is okay, as they might have different reference page numbers or homework questions. Your professor will know best!
8. Check the Local Used Bookstores
In some towns, some bookstores will purchase used textbooks from students to resell them at an incredibly discounted price. If you have one of these stores, this is a great option! You can also check nearby college towns as well.
Related: The College Freshman Year Survival Guide
9. Sell Your Used Textbooks
To help pay for your new textbooks, you can sell your old ones! At the end of the semester, many book sellers will come to campus to purchase them from you. You can also check online.
10. Check your Campus Library
Pro tip: many professors will have the library purchase one or two textbooks for their class you can use. However, you usually can only use the textbook while in the library, so you can’t check it out to take home with you.
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11. Consider Purchasing for Year-Long Courses
Some classes require the same textbook over the entire year. For example, our Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus core classes at my university use the exact same textbook for their entire series. For these style of classes, it can often be more cost-effective to purchase the textbook, as you will need it for a much longer period of time. Take this into consideration when comparing prices!
Related: College Backpack Essentials: 21 Items You Must Carry With You!
BONUS: Secret Tip for Textbooks
If you do end up needing your textbook, and referencing it often, my ultimate secret to textbooks is to use a book stand. I know, sounds silly and simple, but IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!
Book stands are a simple book holder that props open your book and keeps your pages from moving. They are honestly the best way to complete your homework or assigned readings when using a textbook. I can’t tell you how much of a game changer they are.
As a huge bonus, they are super affordable and look great on any desk! Check them out here.
Further Reading
Looking for some more great college-related content? Check out these fantastic related blog posts:
- The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money in College
- 12 Secrets to Winning College Scholarships
- Back to School Guide: College Edition
- College Backpack Essentials: 21 Items You Can’t Forget!
- How to Save Money on College Dorm Essentials
- 57 Insane Money Saving Tips to Try This Week
That’s all I’ve got for you today! I hope you were able to find some amazing and easy ways to save on your textbooks this year. Have a great school year. Happy shopping!
Looking for some more great savings tips for college? Check out my Ultimate Guide to Save Money in College! Oh, and don’t forget your free budget printable to help you pinch those pennies even more!
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