Judging a Book By Its Price Tag: Top Tips for Finding Cheap Textbooks

By Aaron Swartz on November 10, 2022

This article is brought to you by GradGuard. We protect college students and their families from the financial risks of college life, like providing a refund for tuition or replacing a stolen backpack when your school may not. When the unexpected happens, GradGuard’s tuition insurance and renters insurance can help you get back on track.

Every college student knows the pain of textbooks. They’re so thick, so annoying to read, and — worst of all — they cost an arm and a leg! Some students may find themselves spending more than a thousand dollars on textbooks alone, which is a huge amount to add on top of the already high expenses of college tuition. ‘May’  is the operative word here, though, because if you’re smart about it, you won’t have to pay nearly that much. There are a plethora of ways you can save money on textbooks, and to help you get the most bang for your buck here are some of our best ideas for finding textbooks on a budget.

via Pixabay

1. Do NOT Buy Through Your School

If there’s one thing that all college students should know, it’s that if you can avoid buying from your school’s store, you absolutely should. School stores can and will charge you a ridiculous markup on everything from scotch tape to hoodies to — you guessed it — textbooks. Buying textbooks through your college can add a hefty bonus to your price tag, doubling or even tripling it in many cases. While some books may be hard to come by and easier to acquire through your college, in every other circumstance you should buy your books elsewhere.

2. Online Marketplaces Are Your Friend

Jeff Bezos has officially taken over the world, and like him or not, you have to admit Amazon is pretty dang useful. Online platforms have changed the way we shop, and buying textbooks isn’t any different. Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and other online shops are great places to look for cheap textbooks, especially used ones. You can easily find a gently used copy of your books for half the price you’d be paying for a new one at a more traditional store. Additionally, there’re a ton of textbook-specific websites out there you can look for your books on, like Chegg, CampusBooks.com, and eCampus. Before you swing by Barnes & Noble, take a look online and see what the wide world of the internet has to offer you.

3. You DON’T Need Hard Copies

God bless the digital age because believe us, it’ll save you a lot of money when it comes to your textbooks. While a minority of professors may require you to have a hard copy of your text for some reason — reasons which you can often ignore — the majority will be totally fine with you using a digital copy. Digital textbooks are a tremendous asset to both your college career and your wallet. You can find pdf versions of most of the books your professors are requiring which will be a lot cheaper than buying them in print. Plus, if you’re a fan of eReaders like Kindles, you can have all your books in one place! Quick and easy.

4. Online Textbooks Part Two: Free Versions

If you asked most college students what one of the best parts of the internet was, a lot of them would tell you the same thing: pirated and bootleg materials. A platform as far-reaching and complex as the internet is almost impossible to police, which means free, unlicensed versions of content get posted all the time, including your textbooks! If you dig around online for a while, chances are good you’ll be able to find a digital copy of your required texts without paying a dime, so take a look around and see what you can see.

5. Buy From Other Students

The sad truth about a lot of textbooks is that once you’re done with a class you’ll never glance at them again… which means plenty of students are looking to offload their old books! Getting hand-me-down books from other students at your college is a great way to save money. Some of them will definitely be looking to recoup some of their expenses from when they bought the books themselves, but they’ll definitely be selling cheaper than you’ll find almost anywhere else. Plus, many of them might be willing to part with them for free, especially if you’re a friend or a friend of a friend. You can put the word out through your personal network when you’re looking to score some used books, but you can also check out your college’s virtual life. Facebook, Instagram, and other school pages can be great places to look for people offloading books, or for you to make a post asking for the ones you need. With a little luck, someone will be happy to provide exactly what you’re looking for.

College requires a lot from you: time, energy, attention, and lots and lots of money. You shouldn’t have to pay any more than you have to when it comes to textbooks. With these tips, you’re in a better place to hunt for affordable books to have a successful college experience, without breaking the bank.

It’s no secret that college costs a lot of money. Make sure your investment in higher education is protected with GradGuard. Our affordable tuition insurance and renters insurance plans are specifically designed for college students. Customizable plans make it easy to protect your tuition, room and board, laptop, bike, and so much more.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

College Textbooks Listings

Science and Religion

Author: John Haught

ISBN: 0809148064

ISBN13: 9780809148066

Africa South of the Sahara

Author: Robert Stock

ISBN: 1606239929

ISBN13: 9781606239926

IBM SPSS for Introductory Statistics

Authors: George A. Morgan, Nancy L. Leech, Gene W. Gloeckner,...

ISBN: 1848729820

ISBN13: 9781848729827

See all College Textbooks Listings

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format