Feeling a little bummed about the $ I've spent...

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I have finally found something that fits both me and my kids at the place we are now. :D Great, right? Well, I look at my shelves at the curriculum busts I've had the past two years trying to figure out who I am, we are, and what we can actually do together -- and it's some serious cash, at least to me.:glare:

 

Do you all look at this as an "education expense" for a new home school mom trying to figure it all out? I guess I'd really like some "Been there, done that," pretty please?

[ConnieB]

I think the vast majority of us have done that.....the good news is that there is a serious secondary market out there.....no you won't get 100% of your money back....but lately I've noticed that the discounts for nearly new products is very close to brand new so if you have some of the more popular stuff your losses will be minimal.

 

Chalk it up to YOUR learning curve. And in the future....ask around and see if any of your friends have the curriculum you're considering and would let you borrow it for a week to test drive. I've done this both as the borrower and the lender and it's saved me a lot of money, and my friends as well.

[jenL]

I completely understand. It's SO easy to want to buy everything in the name of education for your kids because there are multitudes of amazing resources out there! I started falling into this, and I've found selling the unnecessary items to help some. Of course, I'm not able to reap all of what I shelled out to buy them in the first place, but bringing in a little money makes me feel less bad. I'm finding that I have to self-talk myself out of many things because I could buy educational materials/supplies daily!

 

My best advice is to not beat yourself up over it since it's done and can't be changed - unless you are still within the allotted return times for some items? Try to sell the things you are not using, and then work on changing your mindset surrounding curriculum purchases. Another thing that really helped me was to truly analyze my child's learning style and force myself to only buy things within his style. This way I don't buy things just because they look amazing to *me* although he'd never like them. The book Discover Your Child's Learning Style opened my eyes in this area.

 

HTH! :grouphug:

[Michelle T]

I think we all have. There are plenty of programs, some completely unused, sitting in my garage. I try not to think about it too much, and generally end up giving most of it away.

Michelle T

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Another thing that really helped me was to truly analyze my child's learning style and force myself to only buy things within his style. This way I don't buy things just because they look amazing to *me* although he'd never like them. The book Discover Your Child's Learning Style opened my eyes in this area.

 

HTH! :grouphug:

 

Thanks! I do need to clear my shelves of my misses and check it off as an educational expense. I completely agree with finding your children's learning style. It's really hard to fit a square peg into a round hole, even if I *love* the round hole! ;) I could sit and read all day, not my kids, they are very different from me, they are very tactile and visual/spacial. If it looks good to me, it probably won't work for them. Got to remember this when I get my literature catalogs in the Spring. :lol:

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I think we all have. There are plenty of programs, some completely unused, sitting in my garage. I try not to think about it too much, and generally end up giving most of it away.

Michelle T

 

You know, giving it away would probably help me release it more than kicking myself in the hind quarters over how much money I didn't get back by selling it.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Chalk it up to YOUR learning curve.

 

Thanks, yep, this is what I was thinking. I don't have an education degree, so I need to tell myself this is my "course study expense."

[abbeyej]

You know, giving it away would probably help me release it more than kicking myself in the hind quarters over how much money I didn't get back by selling it.

 

I certainly find that it makes me feel better to see some perfectly decent but unused curricula I purchased going to bless some other family.

 

And yes, I think it's reasonable to come into this knowing you're likely to purchase some things that just plain don't work out or don't get used. It's all part of the learning curve, and while it's frustrating, it doesn't mean you did anything wrong. And it has helped you gain a better grasp on what *does* work in your family...

[Earth Angel_79]

Thanks, yep, this is what I was thinking. I don't have an education degree, so I need to tell myself this is my "course study expense."

 

Love this and plan to use it! I am finding that we haven't made too many mistakes so far, but I could see myself falling into it quite easily. Books are quite the easy sell for me.

[StephanieZ]

Oh sure, I look at my shelves and shudder. Then I remind myself, that ONE YEAR in a private school for all 3 kids would be, what $10,000 - $60,000+ depending on the school. Even in my most wasteful times, I haven't wasted close to the lower figure over my whole 10 year hs'ing career. :) Make me feel better, lol.

 

Selling a few things on the boards or ebay does make it seem better somehow. I've probably only netted $300 (after postage) for the few things I've sold over the past year or so, but it is nice to get a little back and it feels good to be buying new curricula with paypal $ I got from selling sth I no longer need.

[Annie Laurie]

 

And yes, I think it's reasonable to come into this knowing you're likely to purchase some things that just plain don't work out or don't get used. It's all part of the learning curve, and while it's frustrating, it doesn't mean you did anything wrong. And it has helped you gain a better grasp on what *does* work in your family...

 

ITA. I have made a lot of curriculum mistakes but I don't know how to find what works without some trial and error. We all do it.

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Oh sure, I look at my shelves and shudder. Then I remind myself, that ONE YEAR in a private school for all 3 kids would be, what $10,000 - $60,000+ depending on the school. Even in my most wasteful times, I haven't wasted close to the lower figure over my whole 10 year hs'ing career. :) Make me feel better, lol.

 

Selling a few things on the boards or ebay does make it seem better somehow. I've probably only netted $300 (after postage) for the few things I've sold over the past year or so, but it is nice to get a little back and it feels good to be buying new curricula with paypal $ I got from selling sth I no longer need.

 

You are absolutely right. I just looked up the local private school in our area and it is $6,400 per child per year x2 kids..... $12,800. I haven't made *that* big of an oops. ;)

 

Thanks!