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Used Textbooks: Better Than New!
The cost of required textbooks for classes
can quickly add up. Every year, students cross
their fingers and hope for a short book list,
but the fact is, books are an integral part
of learning. Fortunately, there are ways to
buy textbooks at a fraction of the price. Saving
money takes a little shopper’s know-how,
and here are a few tips from the world’s
best bargain basement consumers.
What Could Be Better than Cheap?
Better than cheap? The only better
than cheap is free! You may be surprised to
know that there are thousands of free books
out there waiting to be read. How, you ask?
Virtual libraries. Many virtual libraries offer
reference material and other literature at no
cost. Typically, if you are looking for a new
book title, you will likely not find it in this
way, but if the title is somewhat dated and
the copyrights have expired, you should be successful
in your search. There are a number of sites
on the internet offering these services including
The Internet Public Library, Bartleby, Google
Scholar and Project Guttenberg. Some sites are
better than others and you may need to do a
little browsing, but spend the time looking
for a free source before you shell out money
on new material.
Second Hand does not mean Second Best
The oldest method of saving money when
it comes to buying books is to buy second-hand
books previously used by students. Check your
school’s website to see if they have a
message board for students. Every semester there
are students trying to regain a little money
by selling their used textbooks and who knows,
maybe you’ll find just what you’re
looking for. And speaking of second-hand, don’t
forget to check used book stores, including
university or college used book stores. Even
if you don’t attend that particular school,
you can still buy used textbooks there.
Don’t be Afraid to Price Compare
If you find you’re having a hard
time finding cheap textbooks, why not try an
online site that sells used textbooks? CompareTextbooks.com.
is a service that will compile a list of stores
near you that sell textbooks at varying prices.
Don’t be afraid to price compare. You
could also try eBay or their sister site Half.com.
If you don’t need your used textbooks
right away, these avenues may work well for
you.
Saving Money Takes a Little Time, but
is Well Worth it in the End!
Shopping around may not sound appealing
to you, but if you are serious about saving
money, then going the extra mile may be necessary.
There are always cheap textbooks out there and
all you have to do is look! Happy shopping.
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