One of the downsides of homeschooling is the expense. When you public school, there is a financial outlay, but when you homeschool, not only are you making purchases, but you’re determining for yourself what to get rather than following a prescribed list. It can get daunting, and pricey. And you don’t want to spend money on things you won’t end up using. Is there a way to make this less complicated?
1. Look on Amazon.com and eBay for curriculum books and educational games/toys. Very often, you can find exactly what you’re looking for at a fraction of the price. And if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, go to a store and look around until you’ve narrowed it down, then come home and see if you can find it online. Earlier I blogged about a series of comprehensive curriculum books I like using – I’ve found copies of those books on Amazon for a dollar.
2. Depending on the workbooks you’re using, you can sometimes place a plastic sheet protector on top of the page and have your child use an erasable marker to write down their answers. Then wipe the sheet clean and reuse it. When that child has worked their way through the book, you can use it again for the next child, without having to erase all the answers or purchase a new book.
3. If you have friends who homeschool, set up a workbook co-op. If your friend Jane has a fifth grader and you have a child in fourth, you can borrow Jane’s books next year when she doesn’t need them. Using the plastic sheet idea is great when borrowing – you can utilize the information without marking up your friend’s book.
4. Talk to your friends about what books and games they recommend, and maybe let your children play with those things at your friend’s house so you’ll know if they’ll enjoy that item before you purchase it.
5. There are kazillions of free homeschool resources online, from worksheets to download to atlases and dictionaries and thesauruses all at the click of a button. The Internet makes homeschooling so much easier – if you need to look something up, presto! If you want to show your child a picture of an iguana, you don’t have to make an emergency trip to the library – pull it up on the Internet! Sign up with a good provider at a reasonable price and then really use it to supplement your school.
By doing a little product research, using your creativity, and asking questions, you can maximize your homeschool budget and (hopefully) keep from spending a lot of money on things you’ll never use.
Related Blogs:
Selling Your Old Curriculum on eBay
Dying Pasta for Crafts and Learning