Is there anyone out there who spends less ??

[TracyR]

Just wondering . Seeing how much everyone spends on homeschooling stuff makes me worried that we won't be able to afford to homeschool our three girls on our own .

Is there anyone out there who spends less then thousands of dollars ?? And I'm not talking about just homeschooling 1 child but multiple .

Is this because families are buying things all new that are spending this much money ?

 

Help me feel better about taking a step away from cyberschooling .

[OnTheBrink]

You certainly do not have to spend thousands! I have one child and I would guess half of the money spent on next year's materials comes from sales of this year's, so it's almost like trading things in for new things, sorta. I exhaust every resource to find what I want used before I plunk down $$ for new.

 

But, there are several places where curriculum is free and many of the books are online or are readily available at the library. Used book sales at the Salvation Army and Good Will can also turn up some gems for school, too.

 

Amblesideonline.org is one free curriculum; mater amabalis is another (I may have misspelled that). There is also Old Fashioned Education's site, Simply Charlotte Mason, and Higher Up and Further In (which is a blog, but this gal has posted her curriculum and it's fantastic).

 

MEP math, KISS grammar, MSnucleus science--all online and free to use. I know there are more sites with free resources and curriculum out there; these are the ones that have popped into my head first. OH, google books has Ray's arithmetic and Harvey's grammar online and you can download these books for free, as well as Mainlesson.com and Project Gutenberg for literature that's online and free.

 

So, no; you don't have to spend a month's salary to buy materials. :)

[Jenny in Florida]

For my 10-year-old for next year, I'll be spending about $400. That includes buying every book he will be assigned, curriculum for three foreign languages, etc.

 

I could definitely spend even less.

 

When my kids were little (like, second grade and younger), I could often get by spending no more than $100 or so per kiddo.

 

I find that, like so many other things, curriculum spending tends to expand to fill the budget available.

[xxxxxxxx]

Up until just recently I've never spent hundreds.

 

I hardly ever buy something new....always hunt for used materials, books, etc.

 

As my children are getting older I have had to spend more. They are 4th, 6th, and 9th grade next year. It is harder to find used books for my oldest compared to the elementary years.

 

This year I'm spending about $500 for all 3 kids. This is the most I've spent yet. Also, this is just for books, notebooks, pens, pencils, not outside classes or sports.

[Jenny in Florida]

Here's a thread from a couple of weeks ago discussing how much folks spend. I think of myself as pretty frugal, but there were a lot of people who are teaching more children than I am and spending much less.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19531&highlight=spend+curriculum

[momto3]

You can absolutely spend less than a thousand.

[Angel]

We were spending less when we first started. Dd was in 5th when we began and my younger dd was 4. We spent under $500 and it would have been under $400 but we decided at the last minute to homeschool and had everything express shipped :glare: Of course, I was using Bob Jones and knew nothing of putting my own curriculum together. I believe the next two years I also spent around $400-$500 (maybe less, actually) and that was for 6th & preschool, then 7th & K. This current year (8th and 1st) was our most expensive at around $700. But that includes supplies, printer ink, projects, field trips, as well as actual curriculum.

 

If I was a better planner, I do believe that I could do it for much less. There are great online sources like Ambleside and Old Fashioned Education that have plans laid out for you using the library and free online books.

 

I do utilize our library and the inter-library loan for so much, that keeps my price tag down...I don't buy many books. I also include my younger dd w/history and science (well, not science this year) so I don't always spend extra on separate curriculums for both. The early grades are so easy to homeschool with very little. I also shop Ebay and Half Price Books as well as thrift stores for deals.

 

My dd was in Christian school before homeschool so when I compare the price of homeschool to Christian school, there is no comparison. My curriculum for one child covers about 3 months of tuition for Christian school :)

[Holly]

I try to spend about $250/year. Almost all of this is on reusable materials, so my younger ones will be homeschooled for much less than my oldest. Most of what I buy are living books (picture books, chapter books, etc.), and if I had a better library, I could school for even less.

[Mandamom]

more than $100 a year for my 1 child during the years I was homeschooling. We have a great library system so I used it A LOT. Otherwise I mostly bought used. I rarely bought teacher's manuals because I had to keep my costs down. (I learned a lot this way, too)

 

Anyway, it can be done and you can still have a very solid homeschool.

[hsmom]

With all the free resources, used sales, RR, and some research before you buy there would be no problem!

 

This is coming from a curricula junkie! I spend way to much, but need to learn to be more frugal.

 

Also a lot depends on what you are planning on using.

[Trivium Academy]

But the bottom line is that we spend what we can comfortably spend. If that was $200/yr, it would be $200/yr and the kids would still have a wonderful education.

[Lisawa]

No you do not... its absolutely by choice what we spend and what we use. As years have rolled on it gets less and less.... when the kids were younger I didn’t spend as much as I do now. but since we have one graduating, I know the bulk of expensive items have already been purchased and I wont need to buy them again...... Its by choice we spend what we do... it does not have to expensive.

[Ellie]

Oh, gosh...I never spent more than a couple of hundred a year. Granted, we started hsing over 25 years ago, but still, the thought of spending that much money for one product, even today, is mind boggling.

[Carmen_and_Company]

I don't spend thousands, and as the years go by, I spend less each year, as my younger dc reuse materials from older siblings. I also try to buy used as much as possible, as well as obtaining our general reading for each subject from library sales, second hand stores, the swap board, or off EBAY. I do purchase new, but usually only foreign language, English, or mathematics materials.

[Peela]

I think there are a lot of curriculum junkies around here so it may give you a false impression.

If I had to I could homeschool on very little, using the library and internet,and 2nd hand.

I have ended up, after buying and reselling 1000s of $ worth of curricula over the last 5 years, using very little actual curricula and most of what I do use, is 2nd hand. We use a lot of Living Books, and for writing we, gasp, write. Only thing new is our maths texts and thats only because I could afford it.

If you have more time that money, you shop around for the best bargains. If your time is worth too much money, you just buy things new. If you have time, you teach yourself how to teach some subjects, and use the library etc. If you prefer AND have the financial resources, you buy curricula to do most of the job for you and give you exercises and structure.

I am not at all convinced that curricula is a better way to go- its just easier for a lot of us, particularly in the beginning when we are insecure about our own ability to teach.

Ambleside is free.

[Kathie in VA]

This year I actually spent less then I wanted and less then I expected since we did less then I hoped.... so I didn't need to get some 2nd semester books.

 

I have 4 kiddos. Now the youngest is only 3 so I don't need to get for her as we already have puzzles and other stuff from the others to re-use. The others are 8yo in 2nd, 11yo in 6th and 13yo in 7th. The costs would be more but I already had some stuff that we just continue to use, like math. I have 2 kids in Classical Conversations-Foundations but I also tutor there so that knocks the price down. My oldest takes 3 classes at a local co-op.

 

curriculum--------------- $931.31

tuition....................... $1,887.20

other~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $110.00

Salary for tutoring,,,,,,,,, $1,400.00

est total total .............. $1,528.51

 

<<<<<<<<<< edited to add >>>>>>

So that's about $500 per kid. I sometimes spend more on a subject but that's so that it is reusable... perhaps a Computer prgm instead of a workbook or CD with reproducable pages instead of multiple workbooks.

 

The price for curriculum does tend to go up in the higher grades. I also look for some co-ops in the upper grades since by then my kids tend to really seem to benefit by working with others.

 

<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

hth

[5wolfcubs]

My $$ figure (I posted in the other thread) includes a lot more than just subject texts for each kid. If I buy it from Rainbow Resource or Timberdoodle it's a homeschool cost even if it is a just for fun book/toy/puzzle/game. I buy everything new. I did buy one thing used from a friend...but paid what I would've paid had I bought from RR. I have a tendency not to reuse curriculum. And if I'm done with it, I give it away. My 2 older children I've taught together for the most part, but this year they'll be doing completely different things. And the next ones are far enough apart that they each need their own thing.

 

Could I homeschool w/ a library card and the internet? Absolutely. And if my dh goes back to school himself, then that is what I'll be doing. But for now, knowing myself and my kids and my budget, I'm able to spend quite a bit. It really is as Jenny said "curriculum spending tends to expand to fill the budget available."

 

Step away from the cyberschool...if that is what you want! :)

[Sue G in PA]

I spent a ton. That was last year. :) Well, by a "ton" I mean probably close to $1K for 4 children. Then, there was the changing curriculums. Close to $100 more. This year? I'm spending close to $1K b/c we had a bunch of curriculum "busts" AND MFW ECC was expensive! I try to buy used whenever possible. I do have the same worries as you, b/c we live on a tight budget. My spending is "scattered" which is why I start early (late winter) buying for next year. A little this month, little more next month, etc. Can't just buy everything in one fell swoop. I scour the used book stores, swap boards, talk to friends getting rid of curriculum, etc. It's doable and it's doable for a lot less than we spend. I'm just a curriculum junkie...recovering. :)

[Bee]

I am reusing nearly everything for my youngest child that I used with my older child 5 years ago.I made tons of lists and refined those lists dozens of times until I felt that what I was buying would actually be used rather than just sitting on a shelf as so many things have over the years.I made sure I wasn't buying duplicates.Looking back I can see that there were several years where I had two or even 3 products to teach one subject.I went over all the curriculum and supplies that I already own to see what I can re-use.I usually spend a lot on books for the children to read but I plan to rely on the library for most of the books this year.I've found several places that sell used books (one sells used college textbooks) and I plan to scout those out throughout the year.

[angela in ohio]

Our first few years, we spent very little. The first year, I bought Horizons Math and everything else came from the library. The next year, I think I bought Spelling Workout, a Spectrum workbook, and the next Horizons. It can easily be done, especially with access to a good library (our library has Singapore Math, Scott Foresman math, grammar texts, SOTW, etc.)

 

I actually don't spend much for my younger dc. The areas where I see big expensive programs - science and history - we use library books or used textbooks, even though we could afford more now. I just don't see it as a wise use of money. OTOH, I will spend a lot on my dd next year who is approaching 7th grade. The texts and programs are getting more expensive, and subjects that we just covered wtih library books now require a textbook.

 

My advice would be not to feel pressured to spend much for the next two years, and to instead start putting money aside for junior and senior high school.

[gandpsmommy]

We do spend quite a bit on curriculum, but I know we could do a good job with much less. And this year I am going to try to move in that direction.

 

We use the public library a lot, but I think we could use it even more extensively and exclusively for some subjects. For instance, this year I bought an Audiomemory Geography Songs Kit for geography. But it really didn't work out too well for us, and we have ended up using a National Geographic Beginner's Atlas from the public library for geography. For science we purchased the NOEO Biology Kit, but looking back, I think we would have done just as well to buy a few experiment kits and check out library books on the topics covered. We use the library for most of our literature selections, additional history reading, read-alouds, classical music cds, videos/dvds about history or science topics we have studied, additional science reading, etc.

 

Sometimes I get sucked into buying things that we don't really need. I purchased Handwriting Without Tears preschool workbook, teacher's manual, CD, slate, and wood pieces for ds. The workbook has been great and has gotten much use, but the other stuff wasn't really necessary. I could have used a bargain store slate with a smiley face sticker, the teacher's manual isn't necessary (but could be useful for a classroom teacher), the cd bombed with ds, and the wood pieces have sat in the cabinet most of the year.

 

My advice is to start with the basics and then add more if it becomes truly necessary. Use the library for as much as you can, and if they just don't have anything appropriate for a subject, then consider purchasing curriculum. And try to buy non-consumables when possible that can either be used by younger siblings in subsequent years or sold to fund next year's purchases.

[Mallory]

Next year I will have 7th, 3rd, and 2nd graders.

 

Our new list was about $600 for all three.

I go to RR and Amazon and make up a wish list of books, then I copy it to word and keep an eye out at used sites. That way when one comes up, I know if it is worth buying used or not.

 

I get lots of literature and history books at our library book store almost always for under a dollar, or we just use the library.

 

I also rarely switch curriculums and am just fine with my two littles (next year 2yo and newborn) using the same first edition SOTW 1 my oldest used 3 years ago.

 

I also try to buy things that are reusable, and if I really fall in love with a curriculm that is not (we use Miquon) then they do it on page protectors with dry erase markers.

[elegantlion]

I have one and our budget has been all over the board. One year I had less than 100.00 to spend. I bartered school books. I buy most things new, except readers which I pick up from paperbackswap and thrift stores.

 

We don't live near a homeschool bookstore, but that would be a great place to find used. We are also doing a few fun type subjects that if budget didn't allow we wouldn't do it.

 

We would also utilize the library more, except ours is just bad and I prefer to be able to write in all of my books.

 

I do try to budget for individual subjects. For instance we are using Daily Grams for grammar next year. If I had more than one, we'd make copies and save the original workbook. (I do check copyright rights that are posted in the front of most books).

 

I also plan at least 1 year in advance. That way I can shop sales, ebay, get items on my wish list at paperbackswap, and save money.

 

What about saving your change? Most coinstars now have a feature where you can turn in change and get a e-certificate for amazon or even a debit card. I just turned in some change, mostly pennies and was pleasantly surprised at how much was there. Mine is going toward curriculum.

[Holly IN]

I spent about $300 at the convention this year. This is just for science, Language arts, spelling and reading program.

 

My figure is going to be higher because I have a special needs child with severe learning disability so I have to buy stuff for her instead of re-using what I used for the boys. If it wasn't for her my amount would be about $500 as an average.

 

With older ds starting his transition to high school, his math and foriegn language are the big ticket items so those two alone will cost me about $600 unless I buy used.

 

Holly

[Tami]

When times are lean, I can get by with just a math and language arts program. That will set you back less than $60 if you use Rod and Staff or Christian Light Education.

 

For history/literature/fine arts/science, we use the library. There are TONS of great titles there, and the quality of teaching does not suffer one bit. We have use TWTM, Sonlight, and AmblesideOnline.org as library lists.

 

No money, no problemo!:auto:

[KLA]

I agree with the other posters. Its up to you and your budget. I buy very little and we use it well. We use the library a lot. Also, I am not a pack rat and so the minute we are done with something, I give it away or sell it. There is almost nothing on my shelves that is not being currently used. You can do it to fit your budget no problem.

[TracyR]

Thanks ladies . I feel much better. Almost started to hyperventitlate there . We are really wanting to take a step away from the cyberschool . After 3 years I'm getting burnt out and so are my daughters . Calvert just doesn't fit us anymore and my daughters are enjoying things more when we step back and do something else . So I know its time for a change .

[rafiki]

.

[sadiegirl]

I have found that one of the things that helps me most is to get organized and make lists BEFORE I go to a convention and before I open my new Rainbow resource book. If not, I get like a kid in a candy store and want more than we need. I also have found that it is really like they say when you go to a grocery store with your list and only get WHAT you have on your list that you save.

I have always been in some type of homeschool group and I have found most homeschoolers are generous and pass on what they don't need(some freely as we do and some for a very reasonable price). Check within your homeschool network and see if there isn't a book swap/sale and see what you can find. I know a lot of people use their library and it does save money but you have to remember to plan or it becomes a delay in your lesson if you don't have the book you need at that particular time when you are ready to use it. I'm not good at ordering ahead and most of our books come from other towns within our district and you have to allow for that time delay.

[sassenach]

Just for a little perspective, there was a poll on the general board not long ago and I was surprised by the large percentage of people on this board that make 100k +. I think with income like that, you'll find a lot more people who spend over $1000.

[rafiki]

.

[...................]

our yearly budget for two kids is 300.00 and I got everything my heart desired for that amount of money this year. I think for high school it might grow a bit, but I can't imagine it getting any higher than 800.00 for both kids.

 

Also as they grow older many children's hobbies are a focus in homeschooling. For instance I do not plan to spend money on history or science, but my son wants to get into Robotics. So while Robotics will be counted as homeschooling credits, science, math, etc. he will actually get his kit as a Christmas present.

 

But remember the type of homeschooling you are doing will have a huge bearing on this. You can homeschool for free using MEPS and Ambleside Online, and love it too. A good printer would be useful for that. (aka a 250.00 printer) You can homeschool for free using the library too.

 

You can also contact your local school district. Every school district here in Florida, and most states, has a Book Depository. If you can get there at the end of the school year you can strike it big! Any citizen of the county where we live is allowed to go and take any books, as many books, as their hearts desire. Catholic schools often use books from these depositories, and I know a few homeschoolers that have gotten some great stuff from there!

 

Another thing you can do is just choose what's important to you. I don't buy reading curricula (I think reading can be done ...reading!), or history curricula (though I did spring for the 14.00 for Story of the World for next year), because I Love the library and have learned how to max it out.

 

Notebooking is a wonderful method for moms who are using the library. Using notebooking, you can document and review all you learn from library books, and keep it neatly all in one place. Kids also love to do notebooking, and feel proud of their work. You may want to start a separate thread on notebooking.

 

Another option is to get to know your local homeschoolers. If I sent out an email today, saying times were tough, and I needed anything I could get for first grade I can GUARANTEE that through my friends, emailing their friends, emailing the support group, and emailing their friends, I would have a full year's curriculum.

 

Another option is http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com I actually have sold stuff on there almost free because I just wanted to get rid of it, and other moms do this too.

 

I also recieved a free Hooked on PHonics set from a lovely lady here on the Well trained Mind board. This was the best thing we had in our homeschool this year and I may use it with my dd next year, when she is ready. We only paid a little more than shipping.

 

So I would encourage you to keep your options open and look at one student, one year at a time. make your budget and see what you can do. When you limit yourself to one style, one method, or one Curriculum Provider, you will undoubtedly spend a huge amount of money.

 

But if you can look at the needs of this child, for this year, and then poke around the used curriculum boards, the internet, and use the library, you will definitely be able to do it very inexpensively indeed!

 

Also one little tiny plug for My Father's World, which seems like one of the more affordable packages for all in one style homeschooling out there. I haven't used it but it looks very affordable.

[chiguirre]

I did spend a lot last year and the beginning of this year because it took a while to find the right programs for reading and math. By a lot, I mean about $500, not thousands. I managed to resell some stuff and some of it suits my dd, so it wasn't a total loss by any means. If you have an easier child to buy for, you won't get anywhere near this much money. And even with a difficult kid to buy for, I've been able to keep this year's math and reading budget to under $300 for both kids including consumables. In a few years this will be less because they'll move into nonconsumable textbooks.

 

If you're willing to buy used books and IGs, you can piece together a SL core for about $150-180. Winterpromise is a bit more because they're aren't many used IGs around. If you have access to a good library and don't mind changing the order of books or waiting for a specific title, you can spend about $50. If you put together your own program or find a freebie on the internet, history, science and read-alouds can be practically free.

 

The one area that is a money sink is extracurricular activities. Ballet, sports, music and art lessons cost a lot of money. There's not much you can do about that, but even if your dc weren't hsed, you would probably do some of this stuff.

[Tutor]

I try to spend about $250/year. Almost all of this is on reusable materials, so my younger ones will be homeschooled for much less than my oldest. Most of what I buy are living books (picture books, chapter books, etc.), and if I had a better library, I could school for even less.

 

Ditto. I spent $100-$200 per year when we had a good library. Now we spend about $250. One reason it is not more is that the kids and I often ask for school-related things as gifts. Books, art supplies, swim lessons, scout dues, museum memberships... we've even been given a microscope and gardening supplies as gifts. Because our library is so terrible (and we are living on a grad school student's stipend, so we can't afford to buy all the extras we used to get from the library), my parents have offered to buy each child a couple books every couple months, but even before this offer, they always gave each kid a book and asked if there were lessons or classes they wanted to take before offering to buy other items as gifts for birthdays or Christmas.

 

Homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive. I'm convinced that the one-on-one tutoring is many times more beneficial that what books or curriculum you use.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We only spend between $300 and $400 on curriculum each year. This year money is tighter so I'm looking harder for more items used to try to bring the cost down even more. If you add in basic supplies, I would say we top at $500 max. The bulk of the curriculum money is for our oldest. The books and workbooks then get reused by the next child. We also use the library a lot, and I do some things myself like handwriting, geography, or lapbooks. It really ends up being a balance for us of how much we can afford to spend versus how much time it would take me to create something on my own using just the library.

[mchel210]

I actually priced out my first curriculum which was very much TWTM and it was about 550 for 3 kids. Very low cost. BUT...I ended up changing it all. My dc need stories and we swapped to sonlight etc and the price jumped. The difference is now...80-90% can be reused and then resold as it is non consumable. But the first was all consumable. (I cant figure out how to resuse workbooks...not in my house.)

Michelle

[judycym]

My dh and I have 5 children from 14-3 and we have always homeschooled. We spend from $500-$1000 per year on 4 grades of school curriculum, etc. Yes, really! I buy from used book sources (auctions, sale/swap boards) and I do not pay for someone else to teach my kids. That doesn't mean someone else doesn't ever teach them, we just swap the teaching for something else, such as my husband giving them their yearly testing (he's a certified teacher teaching at a classical school) etc. I think that is the biggest cost- if you need someone else to teach a subject (we all do, I think) try to find it used on dvd or borrow from friends/ support group. Maybe you can find someone with children just older than yours that you can borrow from each year. I have a younger sister who has girls inbetween my children in age and I share my curriculum with her. She spends next to nothing for her homeschooling.

Also, if you ever purchase something that you end up not using, sell or swap it at the used curriculum fairs/ swap sites. I hope that helps!

[Leila]

When I first started homeschooling last year, I bought the boxed curriculum to make it easier for me. So I spent way too much. But as I read about others on how they decide or buy curriculum, I did way better this year. I found sites online that are free and very helpful to us. You don't have to spend a lot, it's really up to you how much you are willing to spend. I guess as you get more years in homeschooling, you get wiser too in spending your money in a curriculum.And thank God there is such a forum like this were you can check or ask somebody about a curriculum you want and get a very good advice, if it's worth your money. Library is always an option for subjects like history, science and readers. And you can always buy used books. In my own experience, it is not the pricey curriculum that makes a good education. It is the fruitful time and guidance you provide your children that lead them to a much better education. Children thrive in a good interaction and a lot of conversations. The more you are willing to spend time with them, the more you discover their weaknesses and strengths in a subject which leads you to a better judgment when it comes to choosing a curriculum.It doesn't matter whether you spend 200 or 1000 dollars. Try to learn with your kids and enjoy learning with them.

[Murphy101]

I didn't read all the replies...

figured it didn't matter much to how much I spend, kwim?

 

cost varies from year to year and child to child.

 

some years it ends up pretty cheap. what you already have is enough or whatever

 

some years it's more. a child comes along that just needs a different text or method then used with previous dc to "get it", a child moves to an advanced level you don't have anything for, or you need to spend a bit more for better quality

 

then there's the cost to teacher work ratio. there's some things cheaper than what I have, but it might take more prep or involvement on my part. I think my time is just as valuable as any paid employees. every minute I spend cutting things out and hunting up resources is time I'm not actually teaching and loving my kids. I don't mind doing teacher stuff. Even enjoy it sometimes! But I have to guard that I'm doing my primary job more than the drudge work.

 

we use anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 of our tax refund every year for curriculum.

 

next year I'm schooling 7 - pk, k, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8th My total cost is little less than 2k. Last year I spent about $900 for k - 7. I rarely buy used materials and it's even more rare for me to reuse workbooks. Both of those cost amounts include school supplies like markers, paint, paper, pencils, and so forth.

 

When I first started with a 1st and K I think I actually spent MORE.

 

Why?

Because I didn't know our educational style and what to look for in materials that would or would not suit my family.

Because I didn't own anything. No dictionary or many school supplies or many of the reference books I now own.

Because I spenta fortune on materials and enrollments that didn't work for us.

 

So don't worry about it.

One year at a time.

[Kari C in SC]

Okay, this post made me sit down and write an actual list of what I think I need or want to use with my upcoming 5th grader and PreK. I came up with somewhere around $300 for just curriculum. We have done co-ops in the past, but probably not this year since we have moved. I think I may have spent a bit more last year because I purchased a whole Winter Promise package. This year is less because we are using a lot of what we already own. I do think that most years I have spend right around $300 for one child though. I can't imagine spending around $1000 this year. I wouldn't know what to buy and I am sure most of it wouldn't get used.

[QuirkyKapers]

I spent around $500 this year, including supplies, but not including extra classes that my kids do. Last year, I spent more. However, it was my first year and I wasn't sure what would work until I tried it out! The great thing is I have bought some curriculum that I can reuse again when they are older (WP) so that helps too:001_smile: I could spend less if I would use the library system. However, it is easier just to have everything on hand so I don't have to be so organized!

[mcconnellboys]

There's a book out that's entitled something like "How to Homeschool for Free using the Internet," etc., etc..... You might even be able to pick it up used someplace like Half.com for not much money, as it's been out a while....

 

I believe that you can certainly homeschool very inexpensively by utilizing any library resources you might have, including inter-library loans; internet resources; free or cheap books picked up from library or yard sales, or used bookstores; book-swapping with others in your area; purchasing used, non-consummable books, etc.

 

Just buying some sort of grade level guide, such as Hirsch's What Your _____ Grader Needs to Know would give you an outline for ideas for pulling together your own worksheets (you can make your own - you don't really need pre-made things), as well as an idea of what sorts of books to check out for history, lit, geography and science reading. I know this series is available used, as I've just seen some of these advertised on our own sale boards....

 

There are more and more universities throwing up free courseware online for upper level grades. Check under "open courseware".

 

It would take more work on your part, but you can certainly find a wealth of stuff, including free books, online. Ambleside and others, I believe, offer access to some free, online books. Now, printing out some or all of those things would mean that there's some level of cost for you, in addition to the electricity to run your computer, etc., so nothing is completely free - but I do think you can homeschool on a shoestring.

 

There's a lending library for educators in my area, called "Freshwater Fred's Lending Library". They service folks in Indiana and Kentucky, I know. I'm not sure how far their reach extends or if they might be able to refer folks to other such services, but they are terrific. They send you materials, which often include free worksheets (so you don't even have to make copies); and they're complete with return, stamped envelopes. You get to keep the materials for several weeks and can request extension, if there's no other hold on them. They have TONS of stuff!

 

Our county has a "book warehouse" that's for "educators". They're not generally overly favorable to homeschoolers, but if you go there and say you're looking for xxxx grade books in xxxxx subjects, at least here, they don't question you about picking out only one or two. I guess teachers often pick up just a book or two in certain subjects in order to have references in their rooms, books for extra work for some students, etc. It's sort of a "don't ask, don't tell" arrangement, I guess. Quite a few homeschoolers go by there from time to time for textbook resources. They ask that you return them when you're finished with them, and I generally try to honor that request. If you know any educators in your county, you might try asking about such a facility and whether it might be open to you. You might also get the number and call to ask them directly - it never hurts to ask..... All they can do is say no (well, I guess they could start yelling, but if you're calling, you can always say "thank you" and hang up.....)

 

If you have bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, etc., in your area, you might just check any dumpsters out back from time to time. I've heard they are notorious for just throwing things away...... Or you might ask if they ever discard books and if they'd let you look through those and potentially donate them to schools in need, etc. - then you could also choose some that might be useful to you, too.....

[LanaTron]

In 2007, I spent a little over $600, including supplies, but not including P.E. classes and music co-op. We use the library quite a bit, but not for our main texts.

 

I try to be frugal, but I don't spend a lot of time searching for used, etc. So, you certainly can home school for less.

 

Good luck in your curriculum planning!

[Pine Ledge Academy]

someone may have already mentioned this, but i couldnt read 5pgs of post to find out, so ....we spend less than a thousand and that is with 3 school age and 2 preschoolers...who need things to do...one thing i have learned is the wonder of page protectors. I slide my MUS and Shurley and whatever else i can into them and use dry erase markers. then, at the end of the year, they are ready for the next child. that alone saves me hundreds on consumable workbooks.

[mcconnellboys]

Wow, that sounds like a great idea. I'd never heard of doing that. Thanks,

[6packofun]

My personal guideline/budget is to aim for $100 per child, per year, but it's always a bit more when you are starting out, IMO. I have 6 children and spend $600 or less every year and I buy new most of the time. It's a lifestyle that we've had to change our budget around a bit to accomodate (setting aside a little bit every month or so), and yet it can definitely be done!

[my2kidsmom]

I spend no where close to 1000. I have 2 kids and we maybe spend 150 on curriculum and supplies. That does not include any of the extra stuff like field trips and dance class.

[Mrs Mungo]

I spend around $1200 for 3 children. However, I buy science kits, the reading books for our history and other things that make my life easier. I could probably drop it to $800 pretty painlessly.

[SuzyKS]

I have friends who homeschool many and they try to use curriculum's that will spread out over a few grade levels, then pass down to the next set of children. Of course the start up can be costly unless you can find them used. Since I just have one child I try to sell last years stuff to buy the next years set. I really hit the library hard even now. If they don't have a book that I needed they would order it or borrow it from another library for me. I really love the Library!!!

[PariSarah]

I'm around $250 a year for curricula. (Math, Greek, Grammar, Logic, SOTW)

 

I could probably go cheaper if I dispensed with teachers manuals for grammar and logic and the activity guide for SOTW. But dh would be less effective/comfortable without them, so we keep them. I haven't paid for the solutions manuals for math or logic--just the answer keys. I might end up getting more detailed TMs or solutions manuals for upper level math, but right now it's not necessary.

 

All of them are either reusable in their entirety or have separate textbooks and workbooks so that I will have to purchase very little for Baby 2.0.

 

Virtually everything else comes from the library. Science, literature, more history, art and music appreciation.