One of the most expensive college experiences is buying textbooks. There are some various options that you have though. My main point is in regards to the last option “loose-leaf books”. Even if you usually buy used and think you save the most money possible, look at this option as it is something I have never heard of before and assume that most other people haven’t either!
What to take into consideration when purchasing/renting books:
How long will you keep the book (for the semester vs. forever)
Do you plan on marking in the book
Is the book for your major or for a general education class
If you purchase used: quality of the book (markings, highlighting, tears, wear, water damage, stains, broken binding, etc.)
If you purchase online: reliability of the seller (look at feedback)
How long will it take for you to receive your book (is it on back-order)
Purchase from the bookstore: Please don’t do this. This is the place that you will probably spend the most on textbooks. Unless you wish to spend hundreds of dollars more than you need to, there is no reason to purchase books at your school’s bookstore.
Purchase New: If you want to buy a book in pristine condition, you can buy new books online via amazon. Usually this is a cheaper option than buying through the bookstore. This still isn’t the cheapest option but if you plan on keeping the book for future classes or for your career and you will repeatedly refer back to it, then this is a good option. You don’t have to worry about wear/tear from previous owners and there isn’t any writing or marking in the book which is always nice.
Purchase Used: Most of the books I have purchased throughout my undergraduate/masters programs have been used. You can look for these books through amazon, half.com, and other similar sites. You can even ask around on campus and see if there is someone who is willing to sell you their old book. Make sure to check out or ask about the condition of the book. If there is some scuffing, is this really such a big deal? On the other hand, if it is all marked up and written in is this going to benefit you or confuse you? When purchasing used the main thing I pay attention to is the amount of marking that is in the book.
Rent: This is another option for saving money on books. The biggest flaw (in my opinion) is that you won’t be able to mark in the book. I guess you could overcome this problem via sticky notes, but you would still have to worry about accidently spilling on the book in those late night study sessions with coffee. I guess as clumsy as I am, this is not an option as I would consider but to each their own. If you do this, I would put a heavy-duty book cover on the book and be very aware of liquids or other things that could damage the book.
Loose-leaf books: This is something that I just learned about in the past month. I figured this out via amazon. There was a book I had to purchase for the upcoming semester that was going to cost me around $250 new or upwards of $200 used in good condition. I don’t know about other people, but I really don’t want to spend that much on a statistics book that I probably won’t use again after the class is over. As I was searching amazon (my preferred site for buying books) I noticed there was a copy that was posted for about $110. My first reaction was “what is wrong with this book?” You want to be aware of cheap copies usually because there is something seriously wrong with the book when it is that cheap (usually, not always). As I read the description I realized that it was a “loose-leaf” copy of the book. Basically it is the textbook, but unbound and three-hole punched. I purchased this, it came wrapped in saran wrap, and I put it in a “heavy duty binder” (because I always have at least 3 empty ones on hand. If you love binders like I do… I have a weird binder fetish… then this is a great option for saving money! The nice thing too is if you just need one chapter of the book, you can place it in another binder and not have to carry the entire thing to the library or across campus. Honestly there is so much information about the previous options I listed, but I had never previously heard about this option and I don’t know how common it is. If you love binders and want to save money though, you should seriously consider this option! Here are some pictures for all my “visual” followers.
How I received the “book”:
If you have any questions, as always feel free to comment or message me!
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