At the start of every new quarter and semester in college, students shell out hundreds of dollars on new books. Although it can be painful for students to spend so much of their tight budgets on books, the books must be purchased. However, there are strategies to saving money when buying and then getting the most money when selling the books.

When buying textbooks, the first rule is to buy used books if possible. Used books will be more worn and will probably have some lines highlighted or words written in the margin, but the discounted price will make the wear and tear worth it.

Students will most likely not want to buy their books at the University Bookstore. The University Bookstore will usually have all the books that students are looking for, but are also over-priced. Students should only use the Bookstore if they cannot find their books anywhere else. Of course most college textbooks can be found on Amazon.com, but check to make sure the books aren’t actually more expensive on the website.

As an alternative to the bookstore, students can visit the town nearest to their college. Usually, a bookstore business sells required textbooks at a cheaper price. The price is not too much cheaper, but every dollar saved adds up.

One of the more popular ways of buying books involves the Internet. Expensive textbooks can sometimes be found on eBay and Craigslist. eBay and Craigslist allow users to post items they would like to sell, and students can simply search for whatever they need to purchase. eBay also owns another website, Half.com, that specifically sells textbooks at a cheaper price. Students will have to buy their books before the quarter or semester starts, for the books to arrive in time, but it is worth it for the cheaper price. Before ordering the books online, students should email professors just in case some the “required” books turn out to be “optional.”

A less widely known website, Uloop.com, combines eBay and Craigslist features to bring the most to college students. Students need only enter their school email to join the website. The website recognizes the school account and then everything offered is related to the student’s university. Uloop.com offers everything from jobs, textbooks, housing, and carpools. Students can post what they are looking for, or what they would like to sell, and other students in the area can buy the books or rent an apartment. This is especially helpful because any potential buyers or sellers will live no more than 10 minutes away.

When selling textbooks, just remember to never sell the books back to the university bookstore. A $20 book will give you, at best five dollars, and $45 books will return maybe $15. Ask friends if they are taking the same class and sell it to them at a reduced price, but don’t rip yourself off. If friends are not taking your classes, then use Half.com, Craigslist, or Uloop.com to find other students who want your books. Students can also use Facebook’s marketplace and alert Facebook friends that they are selling a book. Unfortunately, not many Facebook users visit the marketplace regularly, but it is an efficient way to inform all of a user’s friends.

College students are stereotyped for having tight budgets. We need to do everything we can to save our money, and buying/selling textbooks can save a lot of cash over the years. Remember that there are millions of college students, and some of them are going to either have the books you need, or want the books you have. Start using websites like Uloop, and everyone saves cash.