<p>I'm going to be a freshman next year and am trying to get some tips for saving money on textbooks.</p>
<p>I'm currently taking a summer course, and found USED economics textbooks at the university bookstore for an outrageous $140!! However, I managed to borrow an older edition of the same book from my high school AP economics teacher. Although, the chapters are in a different order, it has the all the required chapters from the newer addition used in our class, which I found out by going to the textbook's website and browsing the table of contents listed there. </p>
<p>So does anyone have any other creative tips like this, besides buying used books from Amazon.com and half.com, because I've checked and even used textbooks are quite pricey?</p>
<p>Go for holiday at any developing country. You can get cheap official editions of almost all popular books printed on cheap paper in black and white for maximum 25$.</p>
<p>Yeah, second-hand/used book stores can be a gold mine, especially ones located near college campuses. I have found so many gems, at dirt-cheap prices, that I couldn't even list them all in one sitting.</p>
<p>No fooling, some poor old gal had to do that in one of my higher maths courses. I was more than happy to help, but only because the gal was poor.</p>
<p>I use Amazon marketplace. The key is selling the book back at the right time, and almost getting your money back. (if the edition is still used)</p>
<p>By selling the book in peak times (like August and January), you can price it around what you paid for it.</p>
<p>Bad idea if you want/need to keep books, but definitely keeps costs low.</p>
<p>Other cheapskate alternatives: share a textbook purchase with a roommate, photocopy the book and return it, check it out from the library and renew it or even pay the fines if they are low, and ask students who have already taken the class if they <em>actually</em> used the book. A lot of classes will list that the text is required, but so many profs have powerpoint or other supplementary notes that they really base the tests and homework on.</p>
<p>Photocopying the book works well if it's a reserve item at the library and you only need the problems out of it, or know exactly what sections you'll need.</p>
<p>Forgot to add: Buying the International version works well too. I've found they are less than half the price in many cases. All I've bought have been the same book, with only a softback cover, cheaper paper quality (which makes it lighter to carry around!), and sometimes only B&W pictures instead of color.</p>
<p>Amazon marketplace is pretty good. Usually I can get books for like 60% off of retail just because the cover's bent or something. Otherwise, at half.com I found a $130 book for less than $50.</p>