Tuition is not the only fee that you need to consider when calculating your spending on college. There are other fees you may have to pay as well that cause a huge dent in your bank account. One of the biggest spending is probably textbook. The cost for textbooks can add up to over $1,000 per year. Imagine having to pay that much for books while you also still have other things to cover during your college. Getting a part-time job might be helpful but the most important key is money management.
Reduce the cost of textbook expenses
It is strongly recommended to plan your finance for smoother college experience. College can be costly but with some planning and management, you will be able to cover all necessities. Textbooks are important to help you learn materials and study better. It is the main resource for studying you cannot just remove regardless of how digitized the world has become. Here are tips to help you save money on textbooks:
Prefer buying earlier edition
It is possible that you still find it resourceful to buy earlier edition of a book you need. For example, you need 12th edition of certain book but you can buy the 11thedition instead. You can ask your professor if there are other things in the newer edition that you really need. Maybe your professor just use the book for reference while the content is just as resourceful.
Avoid renting
Renting a book is common for college students. They rent books for various purposes. However, keep in mind that you cannot resell rented books. If you rent a book for $80 then you will never recoup. Meanwhile, buying a book is like an investment as well. Even if you buy a book for $77, you can sell it later for around $47. It means your total budget of textbook is around $30 only.
Buy low and resell high
Find great deals on textbook online and resell it later for a good rate. This can be a great strategy to reduce your budget on textbook. To determine a fair price based on your book condition’s you may review prices on eBay or Amazon. Be patient when trying to sell your unused books. By waiting a little bit until before the next semester, you will probable sell it higher due to higher demand.
Alternative you may consider
Textbooks are essentials to complement your study. They are the sources of materials of the knowledge you want to learn better. Most professors also still use textbooks for reference when teaching. Hence, you may have to buy textbook like or not. The most important thing is establish ways to manage your textbook budget.
Spend as little as possible for textbook without jeopardizing your study. For example, you can borrow from your seniors, alumni, or family members who still have the books you need. You can also maximize your college budget by getting more financial aids from various sources such as scholarships or grants.