If you’re like me, you enjoy getting a good deal on stuff you buy. Being back at school this week, I realized once again that the campus bookstore is definitely not the place for savings. So I wanted to share some alternatives with you:

1. Check if your books are available at the CSUN Oviatt Library. If they don’t have the requested title, try Interlibrary Loan.

2. Visit your neighborhood public library. Library cards are free and can be used at more than 70 locations in Los Angeles county.

3. Use the free Daily Sundial classifieds to buy and sell used books. This way you get your books immediately from people on campus and save on postage. And you might get some additional helpful info on the class you’re taking.

4. Try websites like Isbns.net or Bookfinder.com for discounted textbooks. The advantage of these book search engines is that they compare the prices of several different websites for you. This means you not only save money, but time as well. Time you can spend reading those books…