How to Cut Down on Book Expenses

Books: you can't study without them, and you can't save any money with them. True, bookstores are evil and the publishing companies are Satan himself. But complaining about the books will not make them cheaper. Here are some ways you can outsmart them and feel smug while you're doing it.

1. The most time-tested method: Comparison shopping. This works for just about anything, but books especially. If you can get your book list before the semester actually starts, go to your bookstore and write down all the ISBN numbers of the books you need. Then, go straight online.
2. Type in the ISBN number and look at the numerous results. Information is your best weapon in the fight against ridiculous book prices. Great places to look are Froogle, Google's product comparison/price comparison search engine, half.com, and Amazon. If you don't see anything at first, don't get discouraged. It does take time to find a good textbook price. If you are especially daring, you can try EBay. But be careful, don't bid higher than the actual price of the book.
3. Word of mouth. Make good friends with people in your classes (even if you have large lecture halls, find a couple that you stick with,) and those who are in classes a level higher than you. You can do this through your department or clubs related to your major. You can even keep tabs on academic clubs. People there tend to sell books en masse, and you can usually get a good price, simply through knowing someone.
4. Often, clubs will have whole groups taking the same class and announce textbook sales. Along the same vein, if you and a reliable friend are taking the same class, share a textbook. It may be a pain, so you have to weigh what's worse: Meeting for homework every night, or paying $200 for one textbook.
5. Communicate with the professor. (Most) professors are sympathetic to the student plight, if they're not in cahoots with the publishing companies. They could tell you that you only need a few chapters from the book, or it could be optional. In this case, you can usually check out a copy from the library reserves and make copies of the pages you need, or borrow it directly from your professor. It makes no sense to pay $100 for 10 pages that you will never need again.
6. Buy used. It's always cheaper, if you can do so. Not every professor uses the same edition year after year. Before you do so, however, check out the damage. Is highlighter something you can't concentrate on when you read? Are you a neat freak who needs every page to be crisp and shiny? Used books are not for you, no matter what the savings. You will just torture yourself more. If you can, this option saves money.
7. Buy an international edition. Oftentimes these contain the same exact text, but just different covers or British spelling. They are usually half the price, if you can find them. Good places to look include Japan, England, and Indian retailers online.

The key here for every strategy is to use strategic timing and careful planning. Don't go to the bookstore the day before classes or during the first week and expect to get your books cheap. Plan ahead.