Comments on: 10 Ways To Save Money On Homeschooling

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:19:27 +0000

As a veteran home schooler of 20+ years, I feel it needs to be said that used and cheap are not always the best way to be frugal. With many hands, eyes, and brains using the materials in my household, we have found that in *many* cases it really does pay to buy new. “Buy new, or by twice”, is often my mantra Yes, used and cheap saves money in the short run, but when you have several children needing to use materials, buying second-hand very often just doesn’t make “cents”. So choose wisely what you will put your money towards, but also be flexible and know that what works for one, or two, or… likely won’t work for everyone. When I am considering purchasing something new I always track down someone who has that particular material, ask what they think of it, and look at it myself, then I decide.
We have purchased most of our text books new. I do not share them with other families until I am certain I am finished with them, because with every set of hands bindings are weaken, spines broken, pages torn.
Laminated flash cards mean long-lasting flash cards. And yes, you can make them yourself if you have the time (with many children and other responsibilities, you may or may not). I purchased a small laminator years ago and made many of my own flash cards, then laminated them. These have been used now by at least 7 of my kids, and I will have them to share with grandchildren!

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:10:02 +0000

Missing out on social interactions and field trips? Haha. My kids have been involved in more social settings than any ps kids we know. Our local districts take 2 field trips in 12 years, while my kids took about 30 per year! Our local home school organization has over 400 families and there are many social activities and classes going on. My kids have been on 6 out-of-country mission trips and have done community volunteer work for years. They have helped in the political realm also. They both played sports and have lots of friends who are in all educational situations. We also host international students. I know there are families who can’t or won’t do many out-of-house things, but most we have known over the past 14 years of homeschooling do have a real life that includes real socialization. All-in-all…good article with good advice.

By: Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:05:50 +0000

My advice is to NOT make picking (or buying) a curriculum the first thing you do/think about. It is NOT the most important part of education (it’s not even 2nd or 3rd). Seriously – if you have other issues taken care of, pretty much any curriculum will do just fine.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:09:38 +0000

We couldn’t live without the library! We use living books. Thank goodness for interlibrary loans also (most of the libraries in Georgia are in the same system so we have access to MANY books)!
I also buy everything used on ebay and Amazon!

By: Fay Clegg

Fay Clegg — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:01:39 +0000

Our library is not free! It is $65/year. Bummer. We don’t live in the same county that is why. They have tried to make it so that people who don’t live in the city limits have to pay.

By: Vincent

Vincent — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:50:06 +0000

“But what about SOCIALIZATION?” LOL!!!!!
(You know…like passing notes in class, kids saying “you’re dead after school”, class clowns disrupting the class constantly…and teachers who have NO DESIRE to teach but just want their paycheck (not all, but a good deal of them anyway). Man, are your kids missing out!

By: janieinMN

janieinMN — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:46:17 +0000

we also used grocery shopping … i used to split my shop list (canned, boxed, etc) and would give the older 2 their own list & money to pay for it, and the youngest helped me with produce, dairy & frozen. @gail – congrats to you & your son

we homeschooled 15 years and learned to make the most of EVERY opportunity for a teaching/learning experience. field trips?? no shortages there. we did the local sheriff dept, newspaper, field museum, museum of science & industry (check your museums for their “free” day!)… parks, nature walks, animal ‘tracking’… it was great!

LOTS OF STARS FOR:
*disounted textbooks & teacher books
*homeschool curriculum fairs (great way to review textbooks to decide which route to go!)
*planning ahead!! purchase enough ‘workbooks’ for all your kids. that way if they redo their curriculum, you don’t have to buy another teacher’s book!! (especially for math, english, etc).
**USE GAMES to reinforce skills taught (math, reading, history/geography, science, etc)… hands-on games involving interaction & participation of family (not just computer stuff).
*JOIN library summer reading adventures!
*utilize homeschool ‘groups’ for things like sports, talent shows, etc
*get together with other family friends and host a spelling bee!
*take a karate ‘self-defense’ class together with your kids
*REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN!! incorporate art & music into your studies

By: Sheri

Sheri — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:17:52 +0000

4H is a great place to get great educational experience for very little expense. So many options of what to get involved in as we’ll as learning character and developing hobbies that last a lifetime or eventually a career or business if they choose. Can’t say enough good things about it.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:51:11 +0000

When I homeschooled my son one year, I wish I had known about the resources avialable and, of course, much more is available in this point in time. Never ignore the power of free trips. My son always ended up accompanying me grocery shopping. He learned how to bag groceries properly, where things were in the store, how to compare prices, etc. Before he graduated high school he had a part time job at the store and today is in his 4th or 5th year as the frozen food manager (has worked there something like 11-12 years total). Considering he is autistic this is tremendous as at one point in time I wasn’t sure he would ever be able to do any job or live independently. Those trips to the store turned out to be the biggest learning experience for him and helped him have job skills for the future. And it was free except of course the cost of the groceries! Don’t ever underestimate what a learning experience can be is a huge way to save money when homeschooling.

By: Petunia 100

Petunia 100 — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:11:57 +0000

I think the best way to save money when homeschooling is to get hooked in to the homeschooling community in your area. Swapping materials is only the tip of the iceberg. Even a loosely organized “group” will typically have a newsletter and all sorts of ongoing activities, usually at a very low cost. There are a lot of vendors willing to cater to the ever-growing homeschooling market, offering their services at a discount.