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Home » Living a Frugal Life » 5 Ways to Homeschool Frugally; Advice From An Experienced Mom

5 Ways to Homeschool Frugally; Advice From An Experienced Mom

January 28, 2017 by Crystal McClean

Sometimes I still feel like a newbie homeschooler! Especially when I’m looking for new materials with a limited budget.  Today’s post has been written by Leah Courtney, who has been homeschooling longer than I.  We were both on the Homeschool Review Crew for three years.  Read on for her tips of how to homeschool frugally.

There’s just no way around it. Homeschooling costs money. It’s typically less expensive than enrolling your children in a private school, but it can be much more expensive than a free public school.This cost can cause some parents who want to homeschool to pause.

“Can I really afford this?” “How are we going to buy curricula?””Is there any way to homeschool without spending all this money?” If these questions are on your mind, here are five ways to help you homeschool more frugally.

 5 Ways to Homeschool Frugally

Leah Courtney ~ 5 Ways to Homeschool Frugally

Use Free Homeschool Sites

Those of us who are choosing to homeschool in the internet age are so fortunate because we have thousands of free resources at our fingertips. There are sites with free curricula packages and sites with free printables. You can find elective classes for high schoolers or video classes for math.

The important thing with all of these free sites is that you find a way to utilize them well. I would suggest making a spreadsheet (because I’m a spreadsheet person) with each school subject written across the top and all sites with classes or printables for that site in columns. Then when you need materials for a subject, you’ll know where to look.

You can find a list of free homeschool resource sites here.

Look For Ways To Buy Used Materials

You don’t have to purchase your homeschool materials brand new. Look for places to purchase used curricula and to sell your curricula in exchange. I’ve used Amazon’s seller program. It’s very simple, and you don’t have to pay anything up front. You only pay a percentage when materials are sold. I’ve had friends to buy and sell on Ebay, but their rules are a little more complicated, I think.

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If you want to buy and sell curricula locally, look on Craigslist or for a local Facebook homeschooling group. Or google to see if you have a curricula consignment shop near you. Occasionally I can find a homeschool curricula fair nearby. At these events, homeschool moms set up a table with used curricula they’re selling. Those are great because I can go in person and shop, actually getting to see what we’re purchasing.

Use Curricula and Resources You Can Pass Down

I have four children that I’m homeschooling, and I learned early on that it was much more cost-effective to choose non-consumable curricula, things I could pass down from one child to the next. If I pay $100 for a consumable workbook, that may not be a good deal. But if I’m paying for a DVD course and non-consumable workbook, I can pass that down and use it for four children instead of one.

Thankfully many homeschool curricula companies realize this and will offer additional workbooks for a course at a reduced price. Then we only have to purchase the main part of the curricula once and purchase additional, less expensive workbooks as additional kids come along.

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It’s also a good idea to check the photocopy rules and restrictions on your curricula. Some homeschool companies have generous copying policies that allow you to make copies of the workbook for family members. This has been great for sharing curricula or passing it down.

Utilize Your Library

If you are using a literature-based curricula, make sure you check your local library for resources. Not all library systems are equal, I know. And I’ve talked to moms who don’t have a good situation at their local libraries. But many librarians are eager and willing to help.

Even if it doesn’t seem that the library has many of the books and resources you need, check out the interlibrary loan system. Our local system can get books, DVDs, and audiobooks from all over the state. I search on the interlibrary loan, request the materials, and pick them up from my home library in a few days. So don’t forget to ask if your library has a similar program.

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Share With Other Homeschoolers

We homeschoolers are a sharing bunch. There have been many times when I needed a book or resource and asked in our local support groups, thinking I would purchase it from someone, only to have a mom offer to just let us use it. I, in turn, have tried to share with other homeschool moms. We’ve passed on books, DVDs, and math manipulatives. So if you’re looking for a particular resource, try asking around other homeschoolers you know. You may just find someone willing to share.

Homeschooling can get costly. But it doesn’t have to. Use these ideas to homeschool a little more frugally.


Leah Courtney of As We Walk Along The RoadLeah Courtney is a homeschooling mom of four. Her days are filled with being a mom, homemaker, and teacher. In her (very rare) free time, she enjoys blogging, reading, and reviewing books and curricula. These days she’s learning the joys of being a mom of teens. You can read about her family and homeschooling life at As We Walk Along the Road.

Filed Under: Home Education, Living a Frugal Life Tagged With: Contributor, Homeschool Resources, Saving money

About Crystal McClean

I am a Mom, Wife, Home Educator, and Virtual Assistant. We love to have fun together while learning and exploring our environment.

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Comments

  1. L. E. Mastilock says

    January 29, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    Most of the curriculum we’ve ever used was free from homeschool swaps or borrowed from our library. There are lots of ways to lessen the costs! This is a great list.

    • Crystal McClean says

      February 8, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Those sound like great ideas!

  2. Susan says

    January 30, 2017 at 1:02 am

    What great tips. I love that the same tips that are frugal are also better for the environment, like using used resources and passing them down.

    • Crystal McClean says

      February 8, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      That’s so true! Helping the environment can also help the budget.

  3. Ali Gilbert says

    January 30, 2017 at 5:08 am

    These are really good tips! I will keep them in mind if I decide to homeschool my kids.

  4. Cynthia says

    January 30, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    I homeschooled my daughter until high school graduation. When I first started, I purchased everything at great expense. After a couple of years, I had learned better and borrowed and shared as much as possible. We also watched the History channel and based studies around that also. These are great tips.

    • Crystal McClean says

      February 8, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      That’s a great idea! We’ve nicely worked in some BBC documentaries into our studies as well.

  5. Michelle Marine says

    February 1, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    In the States, we can also get help from Home School Assistance Programs, depending on which state we live in. When we were homeschooling, our HSAP helped us out a lot by providing field trips and also materials. 🙂

    • Crystal McClean says

      February 8, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      How wonderful! I’m sure it makes a big difference to many families to have such support. I would love to do some field trips with the kids, but entry fees even to the Science Centre are too expensive. As homeschooling becomes more common and accepted, I’m sure the opportunities will also increase.

 
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