High textbook costs and how to save some money...

A pretty good article:

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ymspending0723.artjul23,0,7548346.story?coll=hc-headlines-business

I never knew about the international editions. Good info.

 

It's possible to save tons of cash on textbooks if one simply shops first.

One of my favorite places to start is http://www.addall.com/ where, given a good ISBN, I can usually save over 75% without having to buy an older edition.

The advise to stay out of the campus bookstore is very valid IMHO - I've never once gotten a better price on campus than I can get at either Amazon or Half.com

Wife's savings on textbooks for the coming semester amounts to $650 over new on campus price. I only saved $100 on the two books I needed but they're both new texts that I had to buy new.

The author missed my favorite source of free textbooks -- trade books with friends who have to take the same classes...

 

Look to the River aka Amazon.com. The big guys luv to undercut the little dealers so you can find quality used text books via the amazon market place. But be carful make sure your buying they right edition. Some dealers try to pass off older edition for newer ones. As we all know colleges require you have the expensive update verisions

oh yeah

Ebay/half, AddAll & Abes books are also good sources .. AddAll & Abes or more for rare & out print books but you can find deals there too.

ex-book seller

 

I have gotten good deals at . ..

www.bigwords.com.

They compare all the bookstore pricing and I save a lot of money each semester.

My books have always been in good or great shape.

 

The good thing about BigWords.com is that it also checks Alibris, which is not always the case with other book comparison sites.

BTW, I will never buy an international edition unless I can be assured of its exact nature. The last time I bought an international edition the text size was so small I had to buy a magnifying glass.

 

Or you can attend a school that does not require textbooks like Touro.

 

Re: Re: High textbook costs and how to save some money...

Or one that includes your textbooks (undergrad only) like American Public University or American Military University...

 

I buy 90% of my textbooks @ http://www.bn.com - they usually beat amazon with their prices as well...

Other links:
http://www.campusbooks.com
http://www.bookbyte.com
http://www.books4exchange.com
http://www.ecampus.com
http://www.directtextbook.com

 

Re: Re: Re: High textbook costs and how to save some money...

...or Penn Foster College. I believe Andrew Jackson University has text books included with their tuition as well.

I have bought other study materials from Half.com, and got a very good price. Also, don't over look the public library. You can find textbooks there as well. It doesn't get much better than free.

 

Actually...textbooks are not included in the tuition price at AJU. I wish they were.

You might be thinking of Ashworth.

 

alibris.com, amazon.com, half.com, all great choices. My wife and I have been able to get used textbooks for as little as $5 or $6 each...compared to a shelf price of $100 or more!

Pug

 

I use the same textbook as use in U.S. but It sold as international edition so price is lower. Like I know international edition not permit to sale in U.S. Some textbook sold it in difference price for diference region.

 

I've had positive experiences buying texts at both amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk and saving a substantial sum even with the shipping cost.

 

I just ordered a text book and it was $50 on amazon.ca , amazon.com in the US would not ship to .ca so I ended up buying it through amazon.co.uk for $20 .. delivered!

Not even bn.com could come close to that ( tho three other text books are coming from bn.com )...

 

I buy all my books online, and sell them on Amazon and Half.com immediately after the semester.

In fact, the past week I just sold three books online.

 

I found a different way to save money. Both my wife and I are in the same program. But I purposely took one semester ahead of her so that she can use my books right after. That way, I order the books once and she uses it before they change the editions on her.

 

Interlibrary Loan - Texts

Hi, We have used the following method for texts. You can request a text through interlibrary loan for $1. The catch is you can only use it for 3-4 weeks. Piggyback this with other card holders in your family. Yes, I am cheap. Hille

 

International editions

I had a student show up in my class with an international version of the course text. He spent very little on a book that was over $100 retail, and it looked different than the others. It had a different cover and was printed on lower quality paper, but the content was the same. Yet two other students who had spent more money on the "same" ISBN had some differences in the exercises portion of the books.

In my own undergrad program I ordered a book through an Amazon Z-shop and an international version showed up at my door. I was concerned, but it had the same ISBN as the syllabus and big notice that the book "is not for sale in the United States". I cannot say it was identical to anyone elses book (it was a DL course), but it kept pace with the course syllabus.

 

In my undergrad business policy class I bought an international verison of the book. There was no problem with ther text, it followed the class perfectly. Although I got a flat tire once and the Policeman who pulled over was very interested in the book that said "Not for sale in the US or Canada" sitting on the passenger seat of my car. I do know some people in my MBA program who got burned buying the IE version though because the exercises and cases were different.