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What is the best way to save money on college textbooks?

I don't qualify for FAFSA's book advance, so i need advice on how to save on books! #textbooks #financial-planning #college

Thank you comment icon I would definitely recommend renting the books from the bookstore. For the most part they are still in great shape and usually half the price. You could also buy the books, keep them in brand new shape, and then sell them to somebody taking the class after you which will all save some money! Jack McDonough

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Robert’s Answer

Congratulations for thinking ahead about ways to cut costs! Many times you can buy a used textbook for about half the cost of new. Also more books are available online now. You could also buddy up with someone in your class or a friend in a different section of the course and share a book ( if you do this, make sure to agree ahead of time on a study schedule for midterms, finals, & othe tests!). Good luck!
Thank you comment icon Hi Robert! Thanks so much for the amazing and encouraging advice that you gave Paula above! I had a few additional questions I wanted to ask you out of my own curiosity: 1. Do you know of any sites where you can find free pdf'd versions of books, or perhaps sites that have used books available for purchase? 2. Besides sharing books, what are some other ways that you think college students can save money in general? Any personal experience you might have would be great to hear! Thanks so much! -David David Ohta COACH
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John’s Answer

I always bought used. Nothing wrong with buying used books. Sites like Ebay, FB marketplace, etc can be a great resource. In my school there was an open forum where former students sold their books. Might be a possibility on your end as well. Best of luck!
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Sophia’s Answer

To save money on college textbooks I would research different websites to find the cheapest option. First, I would go to my college bookstore and would rent used textbooks which was always the cheapest method. If the bookstore didn't have any used copies I would rent it. My next go to was Amazon and I always found used textbooks in really good condition. Sometimes if you Google a book they will have the pdf and you can download it for free.
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Matthew’s Answer

I used Zlibrary in college. I made an account and it let me download any book/textbook I wanted for free. Sometimes they have the exact edition that you're looking for and you should be set. Other times, they have a different version of the textbook that still could be useful. Hope this helps.
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Jake’s Answer

Definitely buy used books and check the edition of the textbook to prevent getting the wrong one. Used books are way way cheaper and you can easily find the same edition.
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Tami’s Answer

Hi, try to get an estimate ahead of time so that you know what budget to shoot for. Then, figure out how much you will need to set aside and for how long in order to meet the budget. You should also consider buying used books online if that is acceptable by your university and school. You can usually get used books at a 40%-80% discount. Good luck to you!
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Blaine’s Answer

I recommend buying used books or renting. Library Genesis is a great website that has free books. Your university may also have rental systems that allow you to borrow textbooks.
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Nicholas’s Answer

I would really recommend buying used books to help cut costs. Also I found that school libraries tend to have a couple copy's of textbooks that you can check out for a short period of time. Aside from that borrowing from friends or finding them online would be other options that could really help to save money on your text books.
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Kelsey’s Answer

I recommend shopping around for your books - check out the used books available at your school book store, but also look online. If buying online I recommend searching by ISBN vs. title. The ISBN will make sure you get the correct edition textbook whereas searching by name might accidentally lead you to an older or outdated edition.

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