According to the 2008 College Board Trends in College Pricing, the average cost of both textbooks and supplies for public four-year colleges was $1077. What with the cost of tuition, room, and board, the cost of textbooks and supplies is often underestimated, and can be a considerable expense when preparing students for college.

Buying Textbooks

College textbooks are sold online, in-store, or often times from other students. Some professors also put their textbooks on reserve at the campus library, so you can either check them out or photocopy them, without spending a fortune.

Used Books vs. New

Ideally, buying used books is a lot more feasible for the financially conscious. Textbooks that get resold and reused every year are about twenty-five to thirty percent less expensive than new ones, and usually still in good condition.

Buying Textbooks Online vs. In-store

Textbooks aren't always cheaper online, but they do extinguish the hassle of standing in line and wading through crowds of students to find the right book. Further, some popular textbook websites like Amazon and Half.com do have discounted prices that are worth waiting an extra couple of days for.

Types of Supplies

Supplies will vary depending on your major. Campus bookstores will usually have university-brand folders, notebooks, and other supplies that are major-specific. Math majors usually require expensive graphing calculators, but websites like Calculatorsbest.com sell them for cheap. Also, Netbooks are small and efficient when it comes to fast note-taking, and places like Target or your local drugstore sell basic school supplies for discount prices.

Supply Cost

The key to cutting supply cost is to buy only what you need, and reuse what you have. Elaborate graphing calculators go from $80 to $200 online, depending on the type. In addition, Netbooks go for as low as $250, and a twenty-pack of ball-point pens at any drugstore or supermarket is a couple of dollars. Spiral notebooks or binders generally go from $2-$6 each, depending on size, and other necessities like erasers, highlighters, and post-its are typically in the same price range.

Source:

Textbook Costs Keep Stacking Up

Calculators Best

Resource:

Cheap Netbooks

Textbooks Online

Cheap School Supplies