When I was in college I remember paying well over $100 per book, per class. So the way I figure it your total costs of books in college can easily top $4000. I'm an admitted bibliophile so I have kept all of my textbooks, but I know a lot of people choose to sell them back at the end of the semester to mitigate their huge cost. The problem is that most buyers aren't willing to pay nearly what you paid for the book. There are a few ways to save on textbooks, including:
- Buy Used textbooks - they are always cheaper and are often in better condition than you would expect.
- Sharing a textbook with a friend - Split the cost of a textbook with a friend who is taking the class with you. Beware sometimes this can cause real headaches.
- Purchase online textbooks - No don't purchase the book online, but rather purchase one of the new digital only copies available at a discount
There is however a new way to save on textbooks that I have discovered: Chegg.com. Chegg allows you to rent textbooks for a semester and return them! A brilliant idea that they claim can cut the cost of textbooks up to 85%. Beyond that they will plant a tree for every book you rent, employing a marketing technique where they give back to the community in order to appeal to the more issue conscious 18-25 demographic.
I have not used this service and in no way am I being paid by them I just think it has a lot of potential. Remember your opportunity cost before trying them out though. If you can rent a $100 book at an 85% discount you have paid $15. If on the other hand you buy a used textbook for $50 and sell it to a friend for $40, you are only out $10. Consider the extra work and risk of trying to sell your book for a fair price as well as the benefit of the planted tree :) before you make any decisions.
Let me know if you have used this service, and how it worked out.
www.collegebookrenter.com does the same thing but gives money to the American Heart Association.
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