There's one thing about college I don't miss: The high price of textbooks.

The price of college textbooks has risen at nearly four times the rate of inflation in the past decade. College books for one academic year can easily cost between $800 and $900, according to The College Board.

Among the ways I've seen students try to cut their book costs: Share with another student and split the price; borrow the same title from the library; find an older edition for cheap; or just don't buy the book at all.

I've never seen anyone actually share a book with another student without it becoming a giant pain. The library idea is a good one, presuming you return the book on time or arrange to check it out again before its due date.

An older edition only works if there are few enough changes to the text so that it doesn't matter. If you'll be doing numbered assignments, however, an older edition could really mess you up.

As for the folks who aren't buying the book at all, at least they are being honest with themselves. Why buy something that'll never get read, right?

For everyone else, there are a few other ways to save some bucks on textbooks this semester.

-- Start by comparison shopping. Never assume your college bookstore has the lowest prices. Call all the college bookstores in your area to find out who has the lowest prices on the title you're looking for. Don't forget to check barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, craigslist.com and any similar service you can think of.

-- You can try foreign booksellers' Web sites as well. Often, foreign versions of U.S. textbooks are cheaper because publishers pass on the cost of researching and developing new books to American students. Try Canada, England and other English-speaking countries unless you're fluent enough in Mandarin, Hindi or French to understand whatever you're studying in another language.

-- If buying foreign books, make sure you account for shipping time and costs. If you can't wait for your books, buying them from abroad isn't a good idea. And a steal may not look so good in the wake of a huge shipping charge.

-- Buy used whenever possible. Used books are cheaper than their new counterparts, and they're just as good.

-- If all else fails, talk to your professor. Some professors can be incredibly understanding when it comes to the cost of the books their courses require. I've had professors place the necessary chapters from a book in the library so students can photocopy the pages they need.

Textbook prices might suck, but here's hoping these tips save you at least enough for a beer in which to drown your book-buying sorrows.