When do you buy curriculum for the next year??

[Ibbygirl]

I'm curious to find out when the general homeschool population buys curriculum. I have some old curriculum I want to sell in order to hopefully raise enough money to buy a new microscope for my daughter for next year, but I'm not sure when the best time to list it is. Thank you to all who participate in this poll. It will help me a lot. :)

 

:grouphug:

 

Blessings,

Jennifer

[Chris in VA]

I buy some throughout the year, but the bulk of it around...NOW. I have some to list, and now is the time to do it, imo. August is too late, not much moves in the winter, so now is good.

[Ibbygirl]

I buy some throughout the year, but the bulk of it around...NOW. I have some to list, and now is the time to do it, imo. August is too late, not much moves in the winter, so now is good.

 

 

Thanks for the advice. :) I'm trying to get it all together, but I'm still so busy with teaching school that I'm struggling to find the time to hunt it all down from all the rooms in my house and get it in one place to list! :eek:

[Pixie]

For used curriculum I am buying now. I don't want to wait till August because I can't be sure I will find what I want, at the price I want at that point.

For new curriculum I will buy a couple weeks before we start school (basically I will buy as a new what I am not able find used by that time)

[Jmac]

I buy it whenever it is on sale! :)

[fshinkevich]

I scan the used curriculum section all year, and if I see something I know or think I will use I buy it.

 

Otherwise I usually start plotting out what I want to do around spring time (based on what worked for us during the current year, and maybe new things I heard about) and then gather the materials over the summer.

[Harrison_B]

I sold a lot of my curriculum last year on Ebay and this was a great time to sell. I had a lot of activity and I was able to free up space in my attic for more curriculum :lol:.

[elegantlion]

I buy a little throughout the year but the bulk I buy January - March, that way I have it, can plan before the end of May and enjoy my summer too.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Whenever I can. This year, I bought all my 14yo's 9th grade curriculum in March. He'll start in August :) Just worked out that I got a nice size check (actually TWO nice checks...had it been only one, I probably wouldn't have done it yet) in March so I thought I better do it.

[Guest]

I bought everything in February/March for next year.

[LeslieP]

I used to work up my next years schedule just after we wrapped up the current school year. Then I would keep an eye on things for sale for the summer. But last spring I noticed a lot going up for sale on the boards in the spring. So this year I started keeping an eye out earlier to try and grab some good deals.

[xxxxxxxx]

Our school year is from August to May. After Christmas, usually in January sometimes February I start planning for the next year. I usually buy used books so I buy them anytime between January and August when we start up for the new year.

 

 

This year I bought the bulk of things in Feb/March and I still have 2 or 3 things to purchase before August.

 

My oldest dd is doing Biology so I will order the dissection stuff a month or 2 before she needs it.

[Stacie]

Now is a really good time to sell. In years past I've bought in April and May, plan in June, and take July off. Now that we're using the BJU DVDs I'm waiting a few months to order them. I will miss having the books to plan next month, though!

[TammyinTN]

January this year.

[SnowWhite]

I buy as soon as the WinterPromise catalog comes out! I usually buy "gift certificates" during their holiday sale, and those are valid beginning with the new catalog. I would buy sooner if they were valid sooner.

 

I start looking for used Teacher Manuals if they are available in the latest edition (for music and math) at the first of the year. This year I had to wait until May to order BJU Math 3 because the sets were just then being stocked at CBD (where they have free shipping on the sets I like).

 

Dh is not really on board with me buying further ahead than January for the fall. (Wise man!) :lol:

[Dirtroad]

Over the summer... I don't want to think about the next year until I have had a brief break from this one!

[bella_gitana]

I buy it when on sale, or when I can find it at a good price usually used.

[mcconnellboys]

I generally start planning for the next year over Christmas break and buy the bulk of my things about Jan/Feb. That way, I can pick up odds and ends I still need by the time conventions roll around in March/April.

 

I used to check out book sales, discount book stores, etc. throughout the year whenever I got a chance. My library is pretty large now and I'm actually beginning to cull out books for younger children and sell them, etc., so I'm not shopping so much year-round any more.

[SLH in ND]

I tend to start planning curriculum for the following school year around March and buying it in April. I do it mainly because March is a bad time of the year for me as I get burnt out and get feelings of 'dread' about homeschooling. Once I start looking ahead and getting new books, etc. I snap out of it.

 

So, if you have stuff to sell - I'm ready to buy! :001_smile:

 

Sheri

[Ibbygirl]

I tend to start planning curriculum for the following school year around March and buying it in April. I do it mainly because March is a bad time of the year for me as I get burnt out and get feelings of 'dread' about homeschooling. Once I start looking ahead and getting new books, etc. I snap out of it.

 

So, if you have stuff to sell - I'm ready to buy! :001_smile:

 

Sheri

 

 

Oh thanks!! I have alot of curricula that I've accumulated over 7 years of homeschooling. I have lots of teacher's manuals in really good condition (I keep them in the original boxes for storage) that I hope to sell along with some Foreign language stuff. I have never sold anything over the Internet before so I'm a little nervous, and I worry that I will get lost in all the posts, but I'm willing to give it my best shot. I really want to get my daughter a nice microscope for next year's Science. She'll be doing alot of biology, so I need to raise the funds. I'm already selling baked goods and things to friends on the side trying to raise some money, but it will take a lot of cookies to get to $259.00! :eek: ;) :D hehehe

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I'll get my stuff together this weekend and take some pictures and post some ads up here. :)

[chaik76]

All throughout the year. This year I made two major purchases at our convention about a week ago, but in general I pick it up as I find it.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I buy new curriculum as we are finishing the old. When there are a couple weeks of grammar left, I order the next. We usually take a month off each time we finish a book and then start the next. So, I'm buying curriculum year around as needed. Obviously we school year around also.

[johnandtinagilbert]

This is the best time to shop the big ticket items I will probably find used. I start looking online here, vegsource, and a number of yahoo swap groups.

 

If I can buy some things in Nov or Dec (like consumable math workbooks or spines for history and science) I wait until then so I can spread out the expense in the regular budget.

 

I use the library for most of our TOG and science fortification.

 

I also have a few close friends who I swap with when possible. If I am teaching Zoology now and my friend is teaching chemistry, we can switch later, so we plan a bit like that too :)

[Ibbygirl]

I also have a few close friends who I swap with when possible. If I am teaching Zoology now and my friend is teaching chemistry, we can switch later, so we plan a bit like that too :)

 

 

That is so great!!! I wish I had a set up like that. It seems so perfect for everyone. I have a few friends who also homeschool, but it never works out that way for me. They use different curricula than I do and their kids are in younger grades so I always have to buy my curricula. :(

[mamaof2andtwins]

I buy in March.

[jonesloonybin]

I buy used/sale items throughout the year. The main bulk of it I buy in Feb-April. (depending on when we get our tax return)

[Tammyla]

When we need it...I do like to have everything purchased and worked out for the next school year by the end of July. That gives me time to look it over, plan and purchase any extras like science labs kits and such.

 

That said, I will buy when something is on sale...But only if I'm pretty sure we'll use it.

 

Oh yes...And I love Free Shipping!

[TXMomof4]

I bought mine this last weekend at the Arlington Book Fair. I'm going with HOD - bought the whole kit'n'kaboodle at the show. I was just waiting to get my hands on it and see it before I purchased it. No shipping was another big plus.

 

Of course, I'm planning on starting probably in July so I needed to get all of my ducks in a row pretty quickly.

[MamaAkins]

I like to buy in the spring as we start to finish up some of the current year's curriculum. We generally go ahead and start some of our new stuff in the spring---it sort of "renews" our interest and enables us to finish our school year "strong" instead of petering out!

[Ibbygirl]

I like to buy in the spring as we start to finish up some of the current year's curriculum. We generally go ahead and start some of our new stuff in the spring---it sort of "renews" our interest and enables us to finish our school year "strong" instead of petering out!

 

 

I am just now discovering this as well. Let me just say that I am NOT a naturally organized person. Homeschooling has helped me tremendously though in becoming better organized and every year I get a little better and am more prepared than the year before. This year I already have all of my curriculum for next year already purchased and only have to buy a microscope and a science kit before August. :) Normally, I'm still buying stuff in August when school has already begun!! :eek: I bought the Life of Fred books to use with my daughter's Singapore for next year's school and since it was a supplement, I thought, "why not start it now?" She loves it! And it has really put a second wind in our sails to finish up this school year. We're already halfway through the book! :eek: It's a good thing I bought the first two books so we'll have something still to work on come August! :) lol

[battlemaiden]

I buy the next curriculum as we are reaching the end of the current curriculum. We school year round and we don't have a clean start or stop. Not ideal, but so it is.

[Ibbygirl]

I buy the next curriculum as we are reaching the end of the current curriculum. We school year round and we don't have a clean start or stop. Not ideal, but so it is.

 

Homeschooling with 7 children year round?? I think you deserve a medal for "mom of the year"!! That is an amazing feat! God bless you! :)

[westcoastmom]

I buy at different times in the year. In my experience it does seem like more people post things to sell in the spring so it is usually easier to find used curriculum them. That doesn't necessarily make it is easier to sell as there could be more to compete with.

[G5052]

We homeschool year-round, but lighter in the summer, and I "put out" what we're done with as soon as we're done with it. Things move better this time of year though. I sold a book this week that I had "put out" in November, and have steadily been moving things.

 

I buy basically whenever I have a Paypal balance or spare cash, but unlike most people, less in the summer. By June 1st I have the next year's curriculum purchased and am ready for a break from worrying about that.:D

[pandemonium]

All year long, then wrap up by June.

[Sasharowan]

I usually buy in Feb/Mar to use the tax refund. Since the refund went to pay off the balloon payment on the van this year, I have to piecemeal buy it over the summer.

[cornerstonemom]

I am trying to get it done by June. I am not sure if that will happen. I am trying to get the list for each of my 4 children finished and then I will shop from there. I just want to enjoy my summer and not think about school until September!