There’s no better way of saying hello to the new year than taking all the money you received at Christmas and using it to buy textbooks, right? But even all the money you received won’t cover the cost of your textbooks—those babies are expensive. Don’t worry, though, because we’ve got you covered. And by that I mean we can help you find cheaper textbooks; we won’t buy them for you (sorry).

Hands down, the best way to buy textbooks is online. There are a multitude of websites that sell textbooks new or used, and some that even rent textbooks. There are also websites that will do all the work for you—just type in the ISBN or book title, and they will find the cheapest one for you. Here’s a list of the best places to find your books:

  1. At Bookmob, you can buy your textbooks brand new or used, or you can rent them. Rentals last five months and cost less than buying, and it costs you nothing to ship it back to them.
  2. Amazon offers new and used books in a variety of formats, including paperback, hardcover, and Kindle edition. Shipping costs are typically low when shipped within Canada.
  3. Alibris has a wide selection of new and used textbooks. Prices vary, since books are sold by individuals. Depending on who you purchase from, shipping costs may be high.
  4. Books on Biblio are sold by individuals, like with Alibris, so prices vary. Unfortunately, most sellers are from America, so shipping costs are high.
  5. Ecampus offers new and used textbooks, as well as ebooks and rentals. Rentals tend to be equal in price or slightly more expensive than buying. Like Biblio, these are sold by individuals, and most ship from America.
  6. Campusbooks is the best site for comparison shopping. They use prices from the above sites, as well as other bookstores. When comparing prices, this site includes shipping costs so you know exactly how much you’ll be paying.
  7. Bigwords not only compares prices for you, but they also search for coupons that you can use. You can compare prices for just about anything on this site—not just textbooks.
  8. The VIU Bookstore offers new and used textbooks, and has a comparison tool. If you will be living in residence, you can expect your books to be waiting for you on your bed when you move in.
  9. You can shop for new books at Chapters, Indigo, and Coles online or in person, and you can collect points with your Plum Rewards card.
  10. Local used bookstores often have older editions of textbooks, however sometimes they’re a little harder to find because everyone else is looking for them as well.