Where to Buy Cheap Textbooks

Since it’s the beginning of a new college semester, and since the high school seniors are receiving their acceptance letters, it’s a good time to make a post about where to get cheap textbooks.

But why? you ask. Can’t I just get my books from the school bookstore? They have everything I need.

Don’t do it, friend.

The first semester my freshman year of college, I did just that: I ordered all my textbooks from the university bookstore. The total came to a little over $300. (I also got a free t-shirt, but that’s beside the point.) Since then, I’ve used these sites, and I’ve saved $100-$200 dollars every semester, money which can be put to better use. Like food. And things from Target.

That being said, here are some great websites to find (cheap!) textbooks. The sites include both used and new books, but honestly, go with the used. The worst that can happen is that the book is already highlighted, which means you get the SparkNotes version if it’s a subject you really don’t care about (Lookin’ at you, Geology).

I’ll start with the obvious: Amazon.

Look, I know Amazon is the do-all, end-all of all evil corporations, but they have an Amazon Student free trial which gives you six months of free shipping. In the long run, since shipping is what ultimately increases the prices of your books (I’ve gotten some books for one cent, only to have to pay much more to physically get the book to my house), this is an awesome idea. Just make sure once your six months are up that you cancel the subscription, unless you want to pay the $49. (Buzzfeed recently did an article about the best ways to save on Amazon, and in it, gave some great tips for students.)

BigWords

This is the website I use the most often because I’m lazy. It searches the most popular used books websites and finds your textbooks at the cheapest prices. The websites usually included in this search are Textbook Rush, Half.com (part of eBay), Amazon, AbeBooks, and a few miscellaneous textbook sites that I only get very rarely. Yes, you’ll have to type your payment info into multiple websites (unless you’ve made an account), but in the long run, it’s going to save you more than if you just buy everything off of Amazon. And sometimes you get free shipping!

ThriftBooks

This is a website I’ve only just recently heard about, but my roommate swears by it. Not only do they have free shipping (YES), but they usually have all the textbooks you need (some books, like those with account codes for foreign language classes, might not be on the site). I’m definitely going to check this out in the fall, when I’m once again stressed out over the amount of money websites take from me over shipping and handling.

That’s all I’ve got so far! I also know of some sites like Powell’s, but I’m not sure if they carry textbooks, or just novels (which would still be good for all you English majors out there). Let me know if there are any good ones I’ve forgotten!