5LittleMonkeys Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I just added up what it is going to cost to get everything I want for next year and it came to $1,240. That doesn't even include the 5 things I will have to buy half-way through the year or craft\art\science supplies. That will be another $250-$300. I haven't included any curricula for ds, who will be in K. I don't really think K needs formal programs anyway. But that's beside the point...I'm depressed. I would have to save $310 a month between now and June in order to come up with the money. I just don't see that happening. I could save half of that, maybe...if I keep the groceries down and nothing medical comes up. I skimped this year on what I bought ... made due with things that I knew weren't a good fit for one dc or another. I would really love to be able to get everyone what I know would be perfect for them. How can I make this happen? I only have maybe $100 worth of used curricula I could sell. I might be able to find a lot of the literature books for two of the programs at the library or cheaper at amazon, but gosh, that is a lot of work...I'd much prefer to have it all delivered to my door, ready to go, for once. Okay, I'm done with my pity party now. Thanks for coming.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoryChick Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 No words of wisdom. It has been our experience that as the kids get older that our costs go up significantly. What programs are you looking at? Some things are definitely worth their price and others not so much. For example, OM's English syllabus is worth its cost, but I would never buy the complete kit from them and the actual English text they use is definitely NOT worth the price. Maybe if you asked about specific components people might be able to guide you toward the best place to purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Yeah, I think I am around $700 and that's scary. I'm teaching 3 kids. Ugh. They are expensive, aren't they? :glare: I buy gradually. In fact, I'm starting to buy today. Just 50 bucks here and there until June 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I just added up what it is going to cost to get everything I want for next year and it came to $1,240. That doesn't even include the 5 things I will have to buy half-way through the year or craft\art\science supplies. That will be another $250-$300. I haven't included any curricula for ds, who will be in K. I don't really think K needs formal programs anyway. But that's beside the point...I'm depressed. I would have to save $310 a month between now and June in order to come up with the money. I just don't see that happening. I could save half of that, maybe...if I keep the groceries down and nothing medical comes up. I skimped this year on what I bought ... made due with things that I knew weren't a good fit for one dc or another. I would really love to be able to get everyone what I know would be perfect for them. How can I make this happen? I only have maybe $100 worth of used curricula I could sell. I might be able to find a lot of the literature books for two of the programs at the library or cheaper at amazon, but gosh, that is a lot of work...I'd much prefer to have it all delivered to my door, ready to go, for once. Okay, I'm done with my pity party now. Thanks for coming.:tongue_smilie: One thing I do that really helps is to take advantage of credit card rewards programs. I have an Amazon card and we put everything on that thing. We pay it off in full each month, but the rewards program is pretty good and I wind up with lots of Amazon gift cards. I think you can also take cash. I use these gift cards to buy 90% of my SL books each year as well as any workbooks, etc. that are sold on Amazon. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winni Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Aww...so sorry! Ours usually adds up to that, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I'm sorry :grouphug: Are you able to find any of the materials used to keep the costs down? Anything for sale here or at a local curriculum sale? I know you said you didn't have much curriculum to sell but perhaps some other things that you can list on CL? Do you have any hs'ing friends that you can trade curriculum with for next year? Maybe if you list some of the stuff you are looking for/wanting to buy, some of us here can help you find the best deals. Anyways, :grouphug:. Hs'ing can be hard enough without fighting the budget too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I don't know if this will help, but I just ordered a BJU math TM from Amazon, for a $1 plus shipping. I know some sellers on Amazon aren't always trustworthy, but this TM was in excellent condition. I also get stuff from paperbackswap.com. But, I'll join your pity party. :) I'm trying really hard to keep expenses down this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Boys Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Sorry to hear that finances are tight this year. If you could let us know what you are looking for, then maybe someone could bless you with what may just be collecting dust on their shelf. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I also get stuff from paperbackswap.com. But, I'll join your pity party. I'm using PaperbackSwap and BookMooch. Just yesterday, we changed our plan for English for next year. So, I sat down with both of those sites and used a bunch of my credits to request pretty much all of the additional things I need. I've found it costs me an average of about $2.50 to earn a credit, and that's what I count when I add up my expenses for the year. I've found if I stay flexible -- make long lists of books and materials that might work for a given subject and then just buy the ones I can find inexpensively -- I can keep costs down quite a bit. I'm also finding that I am able to re-use a few things I have on the shelf left-over from my daughter. Good luck! I hope you find a way to make your budget work for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimseycat Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 You might also want to try half.com for literature and some curriculum. You aren't allowed to sell teacher manuals on there (found that out the hard way) ;) but many times you can find the student text or workbook etc... a lot of books are 75 cents and then you pay shipping which still usually comes out to less than a new copy. I usually compare between half.com and amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :grouphug: Sucks, don't it? I figured up just what our books would be last night for our 3 kids that will be in school-- $1900!!! That's not including the core curriculum, extras to that, Latin, LA, math, possibly phonics for the youngest one in school, depending on how he finishes with Funnix. Oh, and then there's supplies, memberships, ect. :tongue_smilie: I just talked to DH, we're going to HAVE to start buying stuff a bit at a time, so that we have all/most of it come August/September timeframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aquiverfull Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I feel your pain. I'm trying hard to keep our cost under $1000 this year and it is difficult to do. Thankfully, I can use our tax return or else I have no idea how I could afford to homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfengel Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I hear you:grouphug:. Our cost have gone up with the grade levels as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :grouphug: I've been wallowing a bit lately myself. We don't have a penny of disposable income. It seems I always wish I could manage to pull $20 out of the $100 we have for groceries, but I just can't. All my "eggs" are in my tax return "basket", and after that we mostly depend on the library. When I am throwing myself a pity party, it can be so painful to read about others being able to buy a curriculum or supplies when I've been saving for months for handwriting curriculum. Don't even get me started on how badly I wish I could go to that homeschooling convention:drool5: It is just difficult for me to keep my jealousy under control sometimes. The only thing that helps me is to look at the alternative. Do I want them in the public schools? No way. Also, I focus on how lucky I am to be in a situation where I am currently able to stay home with them. If I remind myself that I could be in a worse situation and put myself there mentally, it helps me to feel better. It will all be ok and work out in the end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 If you have limited funds (and we all do), I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you make a wishlist and then price it out. That's like planning a meal based on your favorite fattening foods and then saying, "oh, but it has to be under 300 calories". Ouch. Remember EVERYTHING on your list is a want not a need -- after all it's possible to do an excellent job educating your kids for ~ free. There's a tendency to feel "but if I got curriculum X everything would be perfect" but you know that's not true. ;) It's YOU not the curriculum that makes homeschooling work! Maybe start with a budget, make your priorities, and then see what you can get. You'll spend your money on your priorities and you are less likely to be disappointed. If I know I'm not spending over $100 on science for the year, I don't bother looking at the nifty kits for $200+ ...and honestly don't feel a loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 :grouphug: I know how hard it is. This is why I am enrolling my kids in a virtual school this coming fall. I just can't do it anymore on our limited income....and I only have 2 to buy curriculum for. I figure there are negatives to going the virtual school route, but there are a lot of positives too (the major one for us right now is the cost....none). I'll still be at home with my kids and they will still get a good education...in fact, probably even a better one than me scraping together what I can on our own. I hope you'll be able to find what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dulcimeramy Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I personally can not teach formal logic, rhetoric, chemistry, or Latin for free. I can provide an education that is superior to the learnin' available at the public school up the street for free, but that is not my goal. My educational goals for my children require extreme sacrifice, time, and love, but at the end of the day they are impossible without cash. I am also trying to squeeze blood from a turnip for 2011 and it is hard. OP, do share what you need. We're all in this together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 (edited) If you have limited funds (and we all do), I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you make a wishlist and then price it out. That's like planning a meal based on your favorite fattening foods and then saying, "oh, but it has to be under 300 calories". Ouch. Remember EVERYTHING on your list is a want not a need -- after all it's possible to do an excellent job educating your kids for ~ free. There's a tendency to feel "but if I got curriculum X everything would be perfect" but you know that's not true. ;) It's YOU not the curriculum that makes homeschooling work! Maybe start with a budget, make your priorities, and then see what you can get. You'll spend your money on your priorities and you are less likely to be disappointed. If I know I'm not spending over $100 on science for the year, I don't bother looking at the nifty kits for $200+ ...and honestly don't feel a loss. Yes, I think this is all true. It helps me to really focus on the part I bolded, too. And... TRULY, if my homeschooling fund were overflowing, I would be such a curriculum junkie I might not be able to function!:willy_nilly: Seriously, you should have seen my Kindergarten wish-list. It was good that all I could afford for K was reading and math. It reigned me in. I could focus on the basics and I didn't spend my time shopping for the next cool thing. I am so thankful for the library and the internet, and these forums for all the support and nifty ideas of things to find at the aforementioned library or online! I wish I could help you out. My kids are so young, I probably don't have anything you need but I think you should share your list too. Edited February 18, 2011 by Flux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Put searches for what you want on e-bay and have it e-mail you when it is available. I got all of MCT island, most of Sonlight Core 3+4, MPH science, and a few other books that way-one spelling book ended up costing me .01 plus shipping, because no one else bid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 You could flip it and save to buy 1/2 the stuff, teaching those subjects on a block. Then buy the other half and teach the 2nd block. Or buy one subject worth and teach it this summer, giving you plenty of time to save till fall for the rest. Does any of that $$ account for the possibility of finding things used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I just added up what it is going to cost to get everything I want for next year and it came to $1,240. That doesn't even include the 5 things I will have to buy half-way through the year or craft\art\science supplies. That will be another $250-$300. I haven't included any curricula for ds, who will be in K. I don't really think K needs formal programs anyway. But that's beside the point...I'm depressed. I would have to save $310 a month between now and June in order to come up with the money. I just don't see that happening. I could save half of that, maybe...if I keep the groceries down and nothing medical comes up. I skimped this year on what I bought ... made due with things that I knew weren't a good fit for one dc or another. I would really love to be able to get everyone what I know would be perfect for them. How can I make this happen? I only have maybe $100 worth of used curricula I could sell. I might be able to find a lot of the literature books for two of the programs at the library or cheaper at amazon, but gosh, that is a lot of work...I'd much prefer to have it all delivered to my door, ready to go, for once. Okay, I'm done with my pity party now. Thanks for coming.:tongue_smilie: I hear ya;) We are using BJU DVDs for our oldest two next fall, because I need help teaching and I still have the four younger ones to purchase for. I am starting to purchase now, little by little. I am using Easy Classical for history, so I plan to purchase the books that are not spines as we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Oh gosh, you guys are all so great! I just now got around to getting on and was so pleased to read all of your responses. I know we all (most of us?) have it hard financially. I'm not really depressed about not having a lot of money because we really are doing very well on one income (if we can afford horse riding for 2 we really have no reason to complain)... it is just frustrating I guess that things have to cost so much. There are things I could do free but it is so hard to pull it all together when you have 5 to deal with...and there are just so many things that I don't feel I can teach as well unless I have a program to follow and the way I would teach without a program to follow isn't necessarily the best way for my dc to learn. My oldest has surpassed my ability to teach in Latin and Math so now I have to move into the realm of facilitating which means I need a really good program to do the teaching and I haven't found any free math or Latin programs that teach to the standard I want her to learn. Free is fine when dc are younger but once they reach middle school I don't think the free stuff is enough. There is a lot of literature for free but unfortunately my dc aren't huge readers and wouldn't be able to handle a full lit curriculum like ambleside. I talked to dh this morning and he said we would work it out to get the things that I want but I do want to try to reduce the cost as much as possible. I really want to try to get these items because I've done all the research and feel these are the best fits for my dc and they would save me soooo much time. I'd rather be teaching that searching for books. The most expensive products that I want to purchase are Trail Guide to Learning -POE, Beautiful Feet -History of the Horse, Notgrass - America the Beautiful, MCT LA Voyage Level, Chalkdust Pre-Algebra, and LLfLOTR. I know I can probably reduce the cost of the TGtL and BF by purchasing the literature books from Amazon or getting them from the library. Notgrass is new so I don't think I will be able to get those cheaper. MCT I can watch for used here. Chalkdust I can get from amazon for about $70 and I haven't looked into LLfLOTR used yet but I already have the LOTR books. The other things I need are under 50 each new so I know I can get a lot of them on amazon, the library or netflix for cheaper or free. I just need to change my attitude and become determined to make this happen. I know you will all help where you can in giving me advice on places to look for good deals! Thank you all for your advice and encouragement...I don't feel so pitiful anymore.:D I'm off to cut dd11's hair but I will check back later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellChelle Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I completely understand! I live in a city with a great zoo, museums, arboretums, etc.. and the memberships seem to get costlier every year. I use many free online resources such as MEP for math, but the memberships are what take a bite out of my homeschooling budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Yeah, I think I am around $700 and that's scary. I'm teaching 3 kids. Ugh. They are expensive, aren't they? :glare: I buy gradually. In fact, I'm starting to buy today. Just 50 bucks here and there until June 1st. :iagree: I also have to buy gradually...I now make a spreadsheet of what I need and the estimated cost...I fill in the sheet if I buy something and I ONLY buy what is on the sheet...No impulse purchases on something that "looks" good ;)...This helps me because I use to spend money on other stuff, then looks back and realize I could have gotten something I really needed, instead of a story book that was recommended or something like that... :grouphug: I am happy to hear that you are feeling better Aime about everything...We are trying to buy the home we are living in and are also on a budget...It helps to come here and read about how others are dealing with things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Maybe you can do a garage sale & make some money that way? That really helped us some years when things were really tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 After reading this thread this morning, I went and added up what I would need for the basics. (Or, what I consider the basics, how's that?) I about fainted. ((sigh)) I think we can work it out if we just spend a bit every payday getting some, though. I think. I hope. We still have to buy 2 more units to finish out this year, though. ((sigh)) I'm hoping to see some yard sales around here this year. There weren't any where we lived last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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