How to Save Money on College Textbooks

Between the costs of room and board, food, tuition, textbooks etc, college can be a very expensive time in someone’s life. One of the most expensive parts of the college experience is buying all of the textbooks and materials one would need for their classes. According to U.S. News, in the 2019-2020 school year, “the average full-time, on-campus undergraduate at a four-year school is estimated to have spent $1,240 on books and supplies during the 2019-2020 academic year.” Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the costs of books are continuing to rise even more. That being said, there are some ways that a college student can save money on their textbooks and still get the materials they need.

One of the tried and true methods of saving money is to purchase, or rent, used textbooks. Nowadays, there are some amazing services online for doing this out there, such as Chegg and Amazon. Or, you could even do it the old-fashioned way and walk down to your campus book store and look for the books that are marked “Used.”

Another great idea is to purchase e-books instead of paper copies. Since the companies don’t have to pay for all the expensive costs of creating a physical book, you get to save money on it as well. Not only is this great for your wallet, but it’s also great for the environment!

While we know it can be very expensive to pay your way through college, you can save some money on your textbooks with just a little bit of looking and creativity. Happy Back to School Month!