In2why Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I read about the homeschool triangle on someone's blog. I can't remember who wrote it (speak up if it is you :D) but it was my AHA moment. Basically the triangle of homeschool materials is: EASY, EFFECTIVE, and INEXPENSIVE. You can almost always get 2 of the 3, but getting all 3 is almost impossible. So if something is Easy and effective, it isn't going to be cheap. If something is Cheap and effective, it isn't going to be easy. If something is Easy and cheap, it isn't going to be effective. If you miraculously come across something that IS all three then you thank your higher power and hold onto it.....and of course share with the hive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I read about the homeschool triangle on someone's blog. I can't remember who wrote it (speak up if it is you :D) but it was my AHA moment. Basically the triangle of homeschool materials is: EASY, EFFECTIVE, and INEXPENSIVE. You can almost always get 2 of the 3, but getting all 3 is almost impossible. So if something is Easy and effective, it isn't going to be cheap. If something is Cheap and effective, it isn't going to be easy. If something is Easy and cheap, it isn't going to be effective. If you miraculously come across something that IS all three then you thank your higher power and hold onto it.....and of course share with the hive. SWB has been saying that for years. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 I read about the homeschool triangle on someone's blog. I can't remember who wrote it (speak up if it is you :D) but it was my AHA moment. Basically the triangle of homeschool materials is: EASY, EFFECTIVE, and INEXPENSIVE. You can almost always get 2 of the 3, but getting all 3 is almost impossible. So if something is Easy and effective, it isn't going to be cheap. If something is Cheap and effective, it isn't going to be easy. If something is Easy and cheap, it isn't going to be effective. If you miraculously come across something that IS all three then you thank your higher power and hold onto it.....and of course share with the hive. I love that, I may have to use that on my blog :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Thanks, I will look into a lot of that. I also don't believe that free/cheap don't do the same job. my grandfather was a street kid and a hustler (his parents where addicts) he stopped going to school in 3rd grade he schooled himself via a library card passed his highschool competency test and got a PhD in physiology at the ripe age of 53.. he worked as a carpenter and went back to college for the fun of it and he made it to the top :) (not that I would do that to my kids but just a good example of the power of a library card :lol:) That is an awesome story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I read about the homeschool triangle on someone's blog. I can't remember who wrote it (speak up if it is you :D) but it was my AHA moment. Basically the triangle of homeschool materials is: EASY, EFFECTIVE, and INEXPENSIVE. You can almost always get 2 of the 3, but getting all 3 is almost impossible. So if something is Easy and effective, it isn't going to be cheap. If something is Cheap and effective, it isn't going to be easy. If something is Easy and cheap, it isn't going to be effective. If you miraculously come across something that IS all three then you thank your higher power and hold onto it.....and of course share with the hive. :lol: Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) I know some will say that free and cheap materials do not produce as great an education as those fancy, pricy curricula over which we all love to drool. But I don't believe it. We've found that the most important ingredient in giving your kids a terrific education is your attitude. If you treat school seriously and insist that your children do the absolute best job they can with the materials you provide, I think they'll do fine. Mine certainly excelled, even though early on much of their curriculum came from the dollar store. Jenny, I absolutely agree with you on this. I don't believe it either about having to buy the latest and greatest---it's not necessary. I love your ideas for books too--you have great ideas. FWIW, I've posted several times that I'm doing 4th grade for less than $75, and I feel very good about everything I've chosen. Sure it's easy to drool over the shiny, pricey stuff, but the real challenge is finding what's out there at our fingertips to be had on the cheap. You can find many things for free or very few $$$ which are high quality. Read the book Marva Collin's Way. She made do with little to nothing, but gave her students an excellent education. It was all about the education she had to teach them with---her study of many of the great books, etc. To me, that's the secret. Really, I can go in my local thrift shop and on any given day find several Shakespeare titles, great, classic literature titles, several math texts, including Algebra I & II (including Dolciani), nice vintage science books which to me are much better than some I see today, and even Latin, Spanish and French texts. They are there, you just have to spend the time searching. Edited March 23, 2011 by Poke Salad Annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Depending on how much I can get used, about $350-$500 a year on the low end and I have one child. I can easily (read: do) spend more buying fancy science equipment and boatloads of books, though. :laugh::blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It's not hard really at all' date=' and it's not all that time consuming. It also really fits the way we started homeschooling, back in the day before I knew about all the millions of things available to us.. and it fits my family quite well. There are some great threads here on the board about homeschooling on the cheap.[/quote'] You know I agree with you on all of this. And again, I agree, it's not at all time consuming. Read, discuss, write, do math, write some more, rinse and repeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 $100? You can do it if you put all that into cheap ink and use what you find online and have access to a really good library. BUT, for us I need something thats good, easy for me and not a lot of hassle finding lots of resources. Call me lazy what ever but I already have my hands full. I don't have time to hunt down lots of stuff. We will spend about $800 between now and Aug for a 4th grader and preschooler. If your not totally against public education you can check for charter schools in your area. Here in CA there are a lot of them, parents pick the materials as long as its not religious (were secular so no biggie for us but an issue for some) and the school pays for it. They even pay for private lessons like music, dance, karate ect. I'm enrolling my 4th grader for fall, I'm on the fence about my kindy kid since I'm really not interested in a full program at 5. The down side is yes we have to report in monthly and take the state testing but I don't really care. I get $1,600 to spend on education for the year per child which means I can pretty much pick what I want and not have to worry so much about every little penny and we can do things like music lessons and karate which we really can't afford. Anyway, for us I consider $1000 a year reasonable for 2 kids and we live on about $16k yr for 3 people so thats a chunk of change for us and the reason why are enrolling in the charter for next year. btw, I agree with others, make a spread sheet showing costs new and used and be prepared to explain why you want this over that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I ask this because we are VERY limited here. My dh thinks I can school 3 kids with $100 (not including basic supplies like paper, pencils, notebooks etc.) I am trying to tell him that $100 can be 1 subject for 1 kid. would you care to share a good idea of what you think is reasonable for 1 child. I have 1st, 4th & 8th graders. I don't care about buying used, older editions, poor condition (but usable) books. It really depends on your style and what you use. We don't have a lot of money to budget for school either. Last year I spent about $2,000 but it came from our income tax refund. This year our refund went to other places and it looks like I'm going to need $1,000 for books. As I'm landing on what I love it is so wonderful to pass it down to the next child. So my 13yo may be expensive because he's the oldest and his books are more expensive but the 12yo is practically free. Yee Haw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I ask this because we are VERY limited here. My dh thinks I can school 3 kids with $100 (not including basic supplies like paper, pencils, notebooks etc.) I am trying to tell him that $100 can be 1 subject for 1 kid. would you care to share a good idea of what you think is reasonable for 1 child. I have 1st, 4th & 8th graders. I don't care about buying used, older editions, poor condition (but usable) books. Our curriculum costs about $300/yr for 2 kids (K/1 and 2nd gr.) I've spent MUCH more than that in reality, but for the stuff we actually use, it's not more than $300. The rest of the stuff is just gathering dust. All that wasted money :tongue_smilie: Regarding your budget, sounds like "basic supplies" should include printer ink, right? Definitely look into MEP math or Houghton Mifflin math for the 1st & 4th graders. Both are free for the printing. (For the HM, select a grade and then click on "Leveled Practice.") Natural Speller (about $15) would work nicely for all 3 kids. The Complete Writer by SWB covers four years of writing for about $25. Putting the kids to bed now... if I think of more to add I'll be back. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homemama Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Just wanted to throw in lessonpathways.com If you have internet or can use the library internet, this is an awesome free site with all subjects including educational videos and etc. I would probably use that site plus maybe some of those "The Complete Book of...." that you can usually get at Sam's or bookstores. Those books usually have lots of subjects included in one book. Plus, like others have said, I would also add the library in as well. HTH! :001_smile: homemama ds 9, Sonlight core 1&2, MUS, AAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savmom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We are currently homeschooling with zero $$ in our budget since my dh lost his job 2 years ago & his health rapidly deteriorated. I have a couple suggestions: Paperback Swap has been my lifesaver. I have obtained many items that I could never afford for homeschooling (and some personal books that have been in my Amazon wish list for years lol). Even if you do not want to post books, you can buy "credits" from other members for $2-$2.50 each. I can't think of any other site where you can get a current brand new BJU teacher's manual for $2 (and that is just one example)! Head of the Class is a fairly new site that provides free online curriculum for PreK-5. The best feature is that you can customize the curriculum to fit each child's specific needs (for instance if your child can read 3rd grade level but is doing 1st grade math). My dd is really enjoying the lessons and being a highly visual learner, she is actually learning something! Another option: The Book Samaritan They will send you curriculum for whatever grades & subjects you request. They do not always have everything you "want" but they try their best to provide what you need. Lots of hugs to all those struggling to homeschool in the midst of difficulties :grouphug: Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I would suggest using WTM as a spine for your children's school years. If you have a decent public library, many curriculum books discussed on this board can be found there as well as topic books. I would also look out for end of the year homeschool used book fairs in your area. Reach out to friends who homeschool for I am sure they have extra curriculums used and unused that you can borrow. Also, Goodwill stores often have used curriculum books and educational games. Additionally, there are tons of on-line free curriculum, games you can make yourself and topic ideas that can be used. Homeschooling on a limited budget is possible, however you are going to need some additional time planning out your year. Best wishes and many blessings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I ask this because we are VERY limited here. My dh thinks I can school 3 kids with $100 (not including basic supplies like paper, pencils, notebooks etc.) I am trying to tell him that $100 can be 1 subject for 1 kid. would you care to share a good idea of what you think is reasonable for 1 child. I have 1st, 4th & 8th graders. I don't care about buying used, older editions, poor condition (but usable) books. A lot depends on what you have already. My older two were homeschooled through high school (second son graduating this year), so I have everything I need for history, and enough to squeak by with for science (I didn't like what I used for late elementary for them, and sold it years ago.) My husband hasn't had much work the last few years (self employed in construction), so we don't have much money for next year. I will be buying math workbooks to go with the Singapore textbooks I already have. If we can afford it, I will also get Rod and Staff English 6. If not, she will use RS 5, which I already have. (She used MCT Town this year, so it would at least not be repeating what she already did, even if much of it reviews concepts/skills she covered this year.) We have everything we need for history/reading/literature, and a fair number of science books. If need be, we can use library books to fill in the rest of science. So, our bare bones budget is $63 for math, and maybe another $40 for Rod and Staff English 6 (a little less if I decide to get only the student textbook). This will be for 2 children, 4th and 6th grades. So, while your husband's planning is not ideal, it can be done if you have enough other books on hand. In good years we typically spent around $300-500 when everyone was K-7, and $500-1000 some years when we needed to get some high school science/math materials. Since we already have all the high school history/literature, plus chemistry and physics books I am satisfied with, we will need less money for high school now. I would like a different program for high school biology and for 7th/8th grade science, if possible. We also will need something different for prealgebra and for trig/precalc and beyond. (And of course materials for labs. Dissection animals and lab chemicals are not exactly re-usable.) But, it should be cheaper now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrjoy Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 It just is not feasible for whatever reason to go under $500. The first year of homeschooling, it was about this for one student. I got some extra things to try. This year, it was more like $800 for the two kids. Some of the things I got we didn't use, lol, so will try to use them for next year. I'm really going to have a hard time staying within a reasonable amount. However, I have overlapped some grades so far into loop scheduling? I think that's what it's called. So, the budget is more per month now, than all at once. I find myself in trouble when I want to "supplement" or whatever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Along the budget lines..Is it perfectly acceptable to save cirr. to pass down? I have so much Winterpromise complete programs that were bought brand new is it normal to save that stuff for the few years it will take my daughter to get there? A friend of mine laughs at this so I was just wondering and the whole budget thread made me wonder even more lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savmom Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Along the budget lines..Is it perfectly acceptable to save cirr. to pass down? I have so much Winterpromise complete programs that were bought brand new is it normal to save that stuff for the few years it will take my daughter to get there? A friend of mine laughs at this so I was just wondering and the whole budget thread made me wonder even more lol. Absolutely! I wish I would have saved some of the items I used with my ds for my dd (they are 8 years apart) so that I would have curriculum for her now lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but there is http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/ I have some book I need to get together to send to them. They sent me some very nice things last school year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Whatever I can get DH to give me, usually about $200, then whatever cash I make from crafts and babysitting. I am pretty ruthless with reselling books and things we are done with and that gives me a bit of cash to spend. There is so much high quality free stuff out there, including at the library, that I have a hard time trying to justify actually buying something but I do enjoy a nice new curriculum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching_Three Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I haven't been keeping track, but I'd like to keep it under $500. I have a soon to be 2nd grader and a kindy that I shop for. I do by 2nd hand, use the library and online resources for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classically Minded Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We budget $500 a year for curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnL Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayden Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 For this upcoming school year, I am planning on spending about $800 for my 8th grader's year. I am putting together my ideal curriculum now and have figured that if I buy everything brand new, that is what it will cost me, so I have budgeted for that. I will shop used first, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We spend about $2000/year for 3 kids. This includes all materials/supplies, CC, Anna's online classes, private music/art lessons for everyone and a bit of travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedmom4 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I save everything that I believe is worthwhile to pass down to other children and then sell the rest. I usually don't have to spend much money AT ALL on my youngest two children. Also, I haven't seen mentioned but Christian Light Education (CLE) is an excellent curriculum and quite inexpensive. I am using it for Language Arts this year and it is only around $40 per child. It is consumable, though. God Bless, Elise in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrieann Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 In our household, we don't put a cap on what we spend for homeschooling (I don't even want to add it up...it would be reeeaaaally scary!). I imagine I would sell anything that wasn't nailed down to be able to get the resources I needed for my boys. We are blessed to not have to but I guess it's a matter of what's best for your family. I know plenty of homeschooling families that rely heavily on the library and Internet for resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 :)Well, I will have to post this in a few seperate sections, because my internet seems to be messing up. We usually spend 300-400 dollars a year on three children, two of whom are in middle school. Mostly, I use thrift stores, second-hand bookstores, homeschool classified ads, discount sellers such as Rainbow Resources, which is excellent for all ages; E-bay and Amazon (for used books). Here is a list of free and inexpensive resources and links that I have found useful: http://www.homeschoolingonthecheap.com/ www.homeschoolclassifieds.com/ http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/ (a non-profit organization that sends books and materials to families in need) www.curriculumshare.com/ http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ http://oldfashionededucation.com/ (lots of links to free textbooks, mostly public domain and a free curriculum guide that uses these books) http://happyheartsathome.blogspot.com/ (there is an excellent library of free textbooks, mostly public domain) http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page (thousands of free public domain books, available to download) to be continued in a minute... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Ok, here are some more: http://www.homeschool.com/?Hover_NoThankYou=true http://www.homeschool.com/articles/Top100-2010/default.asp (lots of links to free and inexpensive educational websites) http://www.knowledgehouse.info/index.html (lots of links; Christian-based) http://eclectichomeschool.org/ http://www.homeschoolfcgs.com/index.php?osCsid=a8p7ov3a1qluphn5eivglr55n7 (homeschool materials for sale) http://www.juneauschools.org/~sleppyj/spellinglists.html (14 weekly spelling lists for 8th graders) http://edsitement.neh.gov/ (lots of resources for all ages) more to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Here are some more: http://www.worksheetworks.com/ http://www.ezschool.com/index.html http://www.worksheetsplus.com/ (tons of free worksheets) http://www.teachersdomain.org/ (for digital media) http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/ (anything and everything you can imagine) http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/weblinks/lessons.htm (tons of links to free resources) http://www.mathwarehouse.com/ http://worksheetplace.com/ http://www.teach-nology.com/ http://www.math-drills.com/integers.shtml http://edsitement.neh.gov/ (lots of stuff for all ages) continuing in a moment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I am going down my list of favorites, so here are some more: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html http://susanlemons.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/helpful-advice-for-homeschooling-elementary-school-aged-children/ (for advice and links) http://www.lessonpathways.com/Splash http://www.lotsofkids.com/LOK-Homeschool/Articles/HSabbrev.php (a helpful list of commonly used homeschool abbreviations for various curriculum, etc.) http://www.totallyfreemath.com/ http://www.factmonster.com/ more coming..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Here are some more: http://reviewgamezone.com/index.php (lots of educational video games to play online) http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/author.html (a list of excellent books for children to read for school) http://www.americanliterature.com/index.html https://www.leosciencelab.com/ (low and moderate cost science materials) http://www.apples4theteacher.com/ http://home.pct.edu/~evavra/KISS.htm (grammar resources) http://www.usedhomeschoolbooks.com/ (used homeschool books for sale) http://www.puritans.net/curriculum/ (very strongly fundamentalist Christian) http://www.helpingwithmath.com/ to be continued again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jengjohnson Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm sure it can be done, especially if you have a good library system and a big homeschooling community (good resource for used materials). I tell my dh $1000 per year for 3 kids. Of course, most of it goes for my oldest and gets passed down. Sometimes I don't spend quite that much, I don't expect to for next year, but I like to plan for extra in case we need to make a change mid-year. That hasn't happened for us, but I know it does happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Here are more: http://infomotions.com/alex/?cmd=names (lots of online books available free) http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/ (educational online games) http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ http://www.allkidsneedtoknowaboutbugs.com/ http://www.englishclub.com/ http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modeng0.browse.html (tons of free electronic books to read online) http://www.homeschoolmath.net/ http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/grol/grmenu.htm (more great books to read online) http://kids4truth.com/Devos/Home.aspx (Christian devotionals for kids and teens) http://www.scholastic.com/expo/ (you can use Scholastic just like the schools do, if you give your homeschool a name) http://www.homeschoolpatriot.com/freebies.html http://hubblesite.org/ http://classics.mit.edu/ http://www.ixl.com/ http://www.kidspast.com/history-games/index.php http://www.escapadedirect.com/prpuhipicopa.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ http://www.osti.gov/sciencelab/index.html still more to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) I spent $175 this year for 2 kids-3rd and K books and supplies. We added 2 new subjects, so our costs increased considerably. I expect our costs to be pretty stable as we continue to purchase new items for the oldest that we will reuse for the youngers. We stick to basics and don't do co-ops or many outside activities. I don't know what I would do with $100 a month. That sounds like so much. Maybe if they were older? I buy all new from rainbowresources. I throw in a couple fun items with my order, too. I know we could do it for less if we bought used, but I buy mostly workbooks at this point, and I want new because I plan to reuse everything at least 4 times. And it's just so much easier for me. Edited March 24, 2011 by strawberrymama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Coming up will be our 4th year of homeschooling. In the past I've spent upwards of $1000 on 3-4 kids. This year I'm pretty proud of myself as I've quit curriculum hopping and found solid good curriculum, most of which I can pass down to the youngers. I only had to spend $500 on curriculum and spine books this year. I bought almost everything used or at the lowest possible price I could find. I also sold a major curriculum that I decided not to use any more and this paid for a portion of my oldests things. Much of what I bought is again a one-time purchase that can be reused. On my 2 youngest I only spent $55 for the two of them! We still have a few supplies to get, but for the most part that's it. I'm really excited because for the first year I will have some extra money to be able to do some fun outings throughout the year! We are blessed as I look at some other threads. We are able to set aside $1000 from our taxes for homeschooling. If we couldn't I would make do with what I could find on the internet. I fully believe I **could** school for next to nothing, but I count it a blessing that we **can** get the curriculum that I'd really like. We use the library though for every book we read except the spines. We have an excellent library system with ILL so I can get almost everything I need. For that we are also blessed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dntn Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 More: http://www.hippocampus.org/ http://www.historyforkids.org/ http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/ (lots of online educational games) http://www.guesthollow.com/ http://www3.canisius.edu/~emeryg/time.html (many different timelines) http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ http://www.theteacherscorner.net/ http://www.exploratorium.edu/ http://www.osti.gov/sciencelab/index.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ http://www.kidspast.com/history-games/index.php http://www.ixl.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Along the budget lines..Is it perfectly acceptable to save cirr. to pass down? I have so much Winterpromise complete programs that were bought brand new is it normal to save that stuff for the few years it will take my daughter to get there? A friend of mine laughs at this so I was just wondering and the whole budget thread made me wonder even more lol. With a new baby here, I'm now doing just that with the things I think are worth keeping. Workbooks to go along with texts (ie. Singapore Math, etc.) - I'm ordering the copy I'll need as I order other things and putting the books away for when the baby is ready. I just did a major sorting and organizing of our books, supplies and materials - and boxed up the preschool stuff and the kindergarten stuff - once DS finishes up this year, I'll sort and pack up first grade. That way, as the baby is ready, I can just pull out what I need, see what more I need and order and go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 We have an annual budget of about $3000 - and that is for everything from books and supplies, to field trips, local activities & programs, online subscriptions and apps, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I can usually do a year of supplies and memberships/local field trips for around $2000. This is for three boys -10,9,and 8. I purchase DVDs for Latin and two levels of MCT, along with SL for History and science kits for science. I also do not use the library. I have very bad mold allergies/asthma, so I purchase novels and non-fiction books. I don't include overnight field trips, or any extracurricular activities. I don't nitpick amazon book costs, either. There are obviously much less expensive ways to homeschool. We are also fortunate that my parents enjoy providing us with "gear" (Nook, ipod, etc..) and field trips. They are very involved in our day to day lives and I might not even homeschool if they didn't enjoy being with the boys so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I anticipate spending 500-600 this year for 3 kids. But I'm making 1 big splurge for each child. If it weren't for that, I'd spend around $250 for everything for all 3. If I hadn't of sold all my k-2nd stuff a few years ago, I could do it all this year for around $50 *kicks self in seat of pants* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2teach0307 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I've posted this before on other threads-but our budget is $500 for curriculum and another $500 for extras and supplies (like soccer, drama club, field trips, etc). I found some great used deals this past month and just finished up my RR order for about $170 so I'm done for the year. My problem is that I love used books so much I spend all $500 - BUT I have gotten so many books for my $500. Something I haven't seen mentioned here is that not all free resources work with each child's learning style. My dd is very visual and as of right now, she does not prefer downloaded books. She needs to hold a book to investigate the contents. Color diagrams are helpful too. I think it's worth it to see in K-1st what kind of learner each child is and then adapt what you have on hand to the child. You don't have to use the curriculum you have in the way it was intended to be used. Teach your child, not the curriculum.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I am a literature lover, and am building a beautiful library! I spend about $2000 a year, but the majority of that is on non consumable books. Most everything can be used for my second child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I also love books! I won't say what my budget is, but I place an extreme high priority on books and learning. Homeschooling is my passion, work, and hobby. My wardrobe suffers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicA Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 My wardrobe suffers. This made me laugh! I will go to the mall because I need shoes or something, and just come home with a Barnes & Noble bag. I probably should set a budget for homeschooling, but I haven't yet. I'm not done buying for next year, and I would be frightened to add up what I've spent already. Luckily, my dh says to get whatever we need. OK, I will! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 0, but thats not what it costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I also love books! I won't say what my budget is, but I place an extreme high priority on books and learning. Homeschooling is my passion, work, and hobby. My wardrobe suffers. Shhhhhh don't tell hubby that my budget is more than he knows ! I always spend a bit extra every week. :D I can't help it I am addicted. But I am sure I don't spend as much as you do, I have dreams about extra curriculum every time I read your blog. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I also love books! I won't say what my budget is, but I place an extreme high priority on books and learning. Homeschooling is my passion, work, and hobby. My wardrobe suffers. :iagree: On both counts. :lol: I really need to take a bit of the book money and use it on some new clothes. But I won't. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I don't have a set budget but I do try to be responsible with my choices. I do a lot of research not only to find curriculum that fits but to find it at a reasonable price. I keep a running list of curriculum I want as well as where I can get it for the best price NEW and then I look for it used. I keep a record of how much I saved and then use that to make myself feel better about other school-related expenses. :D I looked at sending the kids to a local private school and saw that it would cost $600/month/child x 10 months in tuition alone and then there are all of the extras (more expensive clothes than I would normally buy so they could fit in, school supplies, field trips, packed lunches, gas driving them to/from school every day, books, and so on). My friend estimates her true cost of sending her kids to school there $700-800/month, not $600. That means I would spend $12,000-$16,000/year educating my children. I don't spend anywhere near that on school! :D So with all of that said, I use one month at private school as a rough limit for my expenses. $1500/year. I spend about $500 on curriculum and supplies, $300 on memberships (science center, childrens' museum, zoo, history museum), $40 on AWANAS, $150 on DD's dance lessons, the kids pay their own way through Cub Scouts and AHG by fundraising.... and I have about $500 of mental "wiggle room" for extras that may arise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classical Book Worm Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I don't set a budget, but I don't go crazy. I'm frugal, so I always try to buy used or capitalize on sales and deals, picking up items here and there. I'm a real sucker for books, but I focus on quality and what I think will be heavily used and well loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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