Nine Ways to Save Cash When Buying Text Books

Textbooks average of $900 per year, according to consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch. She offers the following tips for college students to save on their needed textbooks without ever having to step foot into their college bookstore.  

Wait Until After You Have the Syllabus Don’t buy your books before the class starts advises Woroch who says many times books will go unused. Talk to your professor to make sure you only get what you need. (Reuters)

Rent Chegg.com is the Netflix of textbooks, and claims to save students about 50% on books. Other options include BookRenter.com and CampusBookRentals.com. (Reuters)

Buy Used  At the end of every semester companies swarm college campuses looking to purchase used books for cheap so they can sell them for a small profit the following term. Check out Half.com, Textbooks.com and eCampus.com for great deals. (Reuters)

Download CourseSmart.com and Open CourseWare from MIT and Project Gutenbergalso have scanned hundreds of books that can be downloaded to a e-reader, saving students both time and money (not to mention the weight on their backs)

Don't Purchase the Whole Package Dump the CDs and workbooks if possible. These pricey add-ons can come at a hefty cost. Woroch suggests students check with the professor or teaching assistant to what extras will be used in class.   (Reuters)

Buy Online Scan coupon websites to find discounts for retailers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble to purchase required materials.

International Or Older Versions Non-traditional editions of a book tend to have a substantially smaller price tag with very little content changed. With that said, students should still be diligent to make sure all facts are up to date when studying.

Share Students with friends taking the same classes should consider sharing materials. (Reuters)

Swap Students can save money by checking to see if friends have already taken a class and see if they are willing to swap books. (AP)