5 ways to save money on textbooks

1. Buy second hand

   

                              Buy second hand

   If you're one of these people who likes their books all shiny and new – get over it! You can't afford to be picky about these things when money's tight, and remember you're likely to ditch these once the class is over anyway.
   The key to nailing second-hand book buying is patience: sifting your way through shelves in second-hand bookshops and charity shops will take time, but can be really fruitful.
   Pay closest attention to shops nearby universities – you could strike gold if a student has just off-loaded all their books at the end of term.

2. Ask previous students

   

                  Ask previous students

   The best and most time-efficient way to source the exact texts you need is to asks students in the year above you on your course.
   Even if you don't know anyone personally, a quick post on a uni Facebook group can put you in touch with keen sellers, as can asking your department to fire off an email for you or popping a notice up on a departmental notice board.
   Those who have already completed your course will almost certainly have the texts you need and will most likely be more than happy to offload them for cash.
   If you're buying a few books off the same person, it might be worth getting your haggle on for a good deal, as they're likely to be keen to get rid of them ASAP.

3. Try swap sites

   You might think searching for uni textbooks on swapping websites is a stretch too far, but you'd be wrong.
   Book swapping sites have libraries of hundreds of thousands of books (and collections are constantly changing), and often include sections just for academic books.
   Make yourself a profile, post some titles of books you're willing to trade, and get hunting for those texts from your reading list.

4. Buy online

   This goes without saying nowadays, but make sure you check prices online before you cough up in store.
   You can snag some seriously low prices online, with some textbooks even coming down to ridiculous penny price tags on the likes of Amazon or eBay (although, remember to factor in delivery costs as free shipping on Amazon doesn't apply to third party second-hand book sellers).
   For other sites off the Amazon and eBay track, have a gander at this guide.

5. Use eBooks

   If you've invested in an e-reader at any point, then it's well worth checking out if you can get any of your prescribed books in ebook form, as these tend to be a lot cheaper (saving cash on paper and ink goes a long way, apparently).
   Even if you don't have an e-reader, you can also read ebooks on your laptop, iPad, smartphone or even on your Nintendo DS if you're really desperate.
   An added bonus with ebooks is that if you need a book in a late night essay hurry, you can get it instantly, and searching for keywords will also save you a shedload of precious minutes.