College books are expensive whether you buy discount textbooks or not. That said, discount textbooks do offer significant savings over retail books. Last year I was able to save hundreds of dollars buying discount textbooks, and I will show you exactly how to do just that.
Finding Discount Textbooks: Getting a Textbook List
This seems relatively self-explanatory, but it actually is an extremely important part of finding discount textbooks. You need to know exactly what you’re looking for, as most textbooks have several versions in print, and you don’t want to end up with the wrong version. When you get your textbook list, write down as much information as possible-title, author, publisher, edition, and ideally an ISBN. The ISBN is often the most difficult to get, but finding discount textbooks is much easier if you have it. Once you have your list, it’s time to start looking for discount textbooks.
Finding Discount Textbooks: Shopping Around
The website that I always start my discount textbooks search with is www.BookFinder.com. You simple enter the author, title, or ISBN and it will give you a list of options. You choose the correct option and it searches hundreds of websites finding the cheapest discount textbooks. It then sorts the discount textbooks into new and used columns for easy viewing. The only disadvantage to this method of finding discount textbooks is that you don’t always know the condition the used books will be in.
For this reason, you may want to consider using www.Amazon.com to find discount textbooks. You start once again by entering the title, author, or ISBN into the search box. It gives you a list of options; find the book you need but don’t go to it. Rather, look to the right where it says “used & new” and go there. This brings up a page with a list of discount textbooks, their prices, and the condition they’re in. Find the cheapest book on the list in whatever condition you want, and buy it. These discount textbooks will surely save you money over the retail prices.
Finally, consider using www.eBay.com to find some discount textbooks. Often textbooks get no bids on eBay, so you may be able to find one for a very cheap price.
Finding Discount Textbooks: When to Buy Discount Textbooks
You have two options for buying discount textbooks. If you know your required books far enough in advance, you should buy them a few months early if possible. Because very few people will be buying textbooks that early, prices will tend to be lower than if you wait. Unfortunately, professors sometimes change book requirements and you may end up with one that you don’t need. The alternative is to wait until the class begins to buy your discount textbooks. This way, you’ll know exactly which books you need, but you may end up having to spend more on them.
I hope you found this advice helpful; good luck finding your discount textbooks!
