If you could hazard a guess at where a large chunk of your student loan will drain away, the chances are you probably wouldn’t have guessed textbooks. But here’s a shocker – universities expect you should be spending more than £300 on textbooks.Say whaaaaaaat.
While your loan is meant to help fund your studies, we’re 100% not down with students having to spend such an extravagant amount on books, especially when there are plenty of ways to save.
To help you navigate your way into the world of hardbacks/paperbacks/ebooks, we’ve compiled our very own top tips.
Before you even start on these, look through your list and check out what you actually need to own and what you can just borrow from the library. Buying a book you’ll look at one chapter of is a waste of your cash!
Buy second hand
Alright, it might sound like stating the obvious, but the knock down on second-hand books is insane.
Even if you’re one of those people who likes everything neat shiny and new, suck it up and buy an old copy. You’ll only be ditching it after anyway.
Plus, most places will give you some indication of the condition anyway, so you can still opt for a good condition at a knock down price.
It’s well worth scouring the charity shops of university towns – you may strike gold if a student has just off-loaded all their books at the end of term.Buy online
Again, it might sound like it goes without saying, but don’t be that person who needs to see it in the flesh before buying. You’ll probably end up paying a premium for that.
You can snag some amazing prices online, with some textbooks even coming down to ridiculous penny price tags on Amazon or eBay.
Of course that’s not to say the net won’t ever be trumped by the high street, but don’t just go for the bookshop around the corner, ya hear?Compare prices, always
You’re probably sick of us saying this, but comparing prices takes about five minutes and can save you so, so, so much dollar.
We’ve found the best prices are normally on Amazon, Abe Books and Blackwells, so they’re worth heading over too first.
Don’t rule others out though – who knows what deals are lurking!Tap up previous students
If you’re looking for super cheap copies of books, it’s well worth asking around students in the year above you.
Even if you don’t know anyone, a quick post on a uni Facebook group can get you in touch with keen sellers, as can asking your department to fire off an email for you.
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, you might be able to barter as well, because who really wants to lug all those now useless textbooks home with them?Consider renting
It’s very rare that we ever say that renting is a more cost-effective option, but in the case of textbooks, you may find an exception.
Sometimes it is more cost-effective to rent books for a certain period of time, such as before exams, when copies of popular course textbooks will be like gold dust in your university library.
Blackwells allows you to rent books for 30, 60 or 90 days and will email you reminders so you are less likely to incur overdue charges.
They claim you can save up to 66% by renting from them, and you can either pick your rental up in store or have it delivered.Use eBooks
This is our one exception to the second-hand rule, so make sure to take note!
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 online. You can even read books on your phone or Nintendo DS if you’re getting desperate.
Because publishers don’t have to pay out for paper and ink, you may find a significant mark down on the price compared to the physical version.
Another great pro of this: if you need the book in a late night essay hurry you can get it instantly and can also search for keywords.Reward cards
The “Big Daddies” of bookshops offer reward cards which allow you to earn points for every pound you spend.
This is a good tactic to use if you know you will keep coming back to the same bookshop, but make sure you’re aware of how much you’re actually saving.
It’s very rare that a loyalty card gives you enough rewards to make up for a cheaper price elsewhere, so see them as nice bonuses instead.
Blackwells give you a £5 reward for every 100 points you earn, making it worthwhile signing up for a card at the start of your university career, as you’re likely to spend enough over the course of your studies to earn your £5.
Waterstones can be expensive but they offer special rewards to cardholders, like discounted entry to museums, as well as earning points for the pound.Student discounts
Many places will offer student discounts on your books and even if they don’t advertise, it’s well worth asking.
Waterstones tend to offer student discounts at key points in the year and you can snag 5% off at Amazon if you’ve got an NUS Extra Card.
Here at Save the Student we’ve also got a whole list of student dealswhich we update daily, so make sure to check it out before you splash any cash.Get library savvy
The library can be a bit daunting at first, but getting to grips with the system will save you time and money.
Your uni’s library is a free resource tailored to students’ needs, so you should take advantage of this (you’re paying £9,000 a year, after all).
Learn to take out books before your course covers them, that way you get to them before everyone else snaps them up.
You can also reserve books that are in high demand, which limits others renewing their loan, and extend your own loans online.
This said, library politics can become a bit cray, and to put it bluntly it might not be worth the hassle.
It is worth checking our your local library, too – while the chances of them stocking an in-depth guide on quantum theory are quite thin, they may have some more mainstream books with a much lower demand.Free online books and journals
Hey you over there – we’re talking about FREE STUFF.
Most universities will have a number of accounts with online journal collections, which mean you can get loads of essays for free. Lecturers love a bit of journal referencing with your books too – shows a variety of sources.
Also, if you search for books on Google Scholar, there are almost always preview pages. It’s a gamble, but 50% of the time, you end up with the pages you need.
For even more freebies, you can read books at OpenLibrary or Texttbookrevolution – great for when skimming text on tablets or laptops, but not so useful for texts that require more in-depth study.Share with friends
If you live with friends who are on the same course or even just visit a lot then one of the best tips is to share. Let’s face it, you probably steal their milk anyway.
This even works on library books – we all know how tense it is with renewals, but if one of you got the text it’s all gravy.
Working as a team will mean you get the notes done faster and cheaper but beware the friend who is not pulling their weight.Return your books
Alright, this sounds like a pretty cheeky thing to do, and, well it is. We didn’t tell you anything.
However, if you’ve bought a book and hardly used it, you can always send it back for a refund if it’s in tip-top condition.
Just take care with creases and coffee stains if you’re planning on trying this trick.Earlier editions
This is the one time that early actually means a good thing while you’re a student so listen up.
People have been studying textbooks since the dawn of time so the chances are there are oodles of earlier editions of the book you need.
Check with a lecturer if it’s okay to get an earlier edition instead. The content is normally 90% the same and a hell of a lot cheaper.Bulk bargaining
If you’re buying a shedload of books, we feel your pain. And we feel you should be lobbying for a bulk discount.
Especially with smaller sellers, the ability to haggle could pay dividends for your wallet.
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