Student Expenses: Save on College Textbooks

Last minute cookouts and three-day-weekends are signaling the end of summer, and many college students are making the dreaded trek back to campus. Moving in, meeting the roommates and deciphering one’s new schedule are enough tasks to handle for any student. When expenses like college textbooks and meal plans are tacked on, the new school year is enough to make any student want to run back to mom and dad’s.

However, cutting costs doesn’t have to be too painful. Before you get images of semester long Ramen-noodle dinners in your head, there are ways to save your cash, such as utilizing college textbook services. The average college student spends around $700-$1,000 a year, according to a Student Financial Assistance Advisory Committee report. While this may be the norm for university-level textbooks, students and parents alike must deal with the financial aftermath.

College textbook services like eCampus provide free shipping if you spend around $50 on their site, reports StarReviews.com. Besides offering virtual campus bookstores and massive clearance sections, this service allows students to resell their used textbooks to other students who may need a particular title. This not only saves the buyer some cash, it gives the seller a chance to redeem a few bucks on last semester’s books.

When it feels like endless piles of bills are stacking up on your dorm room desk, the last thing on your mind is studying. Inevitable nights out on the town and living independently contribute to the estimated $28 billion a year spent on entertainment by college enrollees. When textbook costs alone are added into this equation, the burden placed on any student can be heavy. Using a college textbook service will prove to be cost-efficient in the long run and will even save you from that long line down at the bookstore.