Charles Schmidt, spokesman for the college stores association, offered the following suggestions to students seeking to save money on textbooks:

1 : Buy used books when possible.  They may sell out fast so shop the store early or buy right from a web site to use used-book sales.

2 : Consider renting or buying electronic texts.

3 : Like your campus bookstore’s Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.  Stores regularly will give advance notice of money preserving specials to fans.

4 : Be leery of hackers, spammers and phishers when buying course materials online from outside / unknown sources.  Items may not arrive on time, be wrong, or not include needed access codes. Additionally, do not forget to consider shipping costs in the overall cost of the textbook. To avoid delays, take a look at your varsity store’s site for ordering convenience and confidence.

5 : Know your store’s policy on refunds, particularly cut off dates.  This way, you will not be disappointed if you drop a class.

6 : Keep invoices. Most stores need them for returns.

7 : Don’t write in or uncover books till you are certain you will be keeping them.  Most sellers will not offer full credit for books which have been marked or bundles that’ve been opened.

8 : If you’ve got a choice between purchasing a textbook on it’s own, or packed with a study guide or software, ensure you need both parts.

9 : When purchasing domestically, consider paying cash or by ATM card to avoid card costs and interest.  But employ a card when purchasing from online sellers in case disputes appear.

10 : If you have questions, ask a varsity store worker whose job is to help get the tutorial tools you require in the format you want.