Amy Jo Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 How do you decide between time and money? Does it just come down to the numbers or do you use another method. For example, I'm wanting to use CW and EG next year. For $25 I can get the Aesop core and the download of models to use, I could even whip up some worksheets for it. To get the Aesop student books would be another $54 - per child (so over $200 extra for just 1 level of CW)! Elementary Greek is more reasonable, about $15 for each student book. Or I could adapt something I already have for Greek, but it would be a LOT more work. On the other hand, it seems having the student books would make my life much easier. Less preparation for me and more independence for them. I'll have 2 school age, 1 kindergarten and a toddler next year, so I'm a bit worried about handling it all. At least I assume they make it more independent? So, are the workbooks worth it? Is there a maximum price for you? Do alternatives (legal reproduction of the pages, using page protectors) really work? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 How do you decide between time and money? Does it just come down to the numbers or do you use another method. For example, I'm wanting to use CW and EG next year. For $25 I can get the Aesop core and the download of models to use, I could even whip up some worksheets for it. To get the Aesop student books would be another $54 - per child (so over $200 extra for just 1 level of CW)! Elementary Greek is more reasonable, about $15 for each student book. Or I could adapt something I already have for Greek, but it would be a LOT more work. On the other hand, it seems having the student books would make my life much easier. Less preparation for me and more independence for them. I'll have 2 school age, 1 kindergarten and a toddler next year, so I'm a bit worried about handling it all. At least I assume they make it more independent? So, are the workbooks worth it? Is there a maximum price for you? Do alternatives (legal reproduction of the pages, using page protectors) really work? Thanks! It's hard to know. I have 2 in Latina Christiana and bought each of them a workbook. I had 2 older children work through the workbook as well so I knew what I was getting into. Well half way through the school year I changed up some schooling logistics and we now do the workbook orally. I know that sounds like more work but it works for us currently. I would suggest that you buy just one workbook for the programs you are wanting. Try out the program for a couple of weeks and then decide what would work for you. I am conscientious about copyright laws but during a trial period I would make a handful of photocopies to actually TRY it and see what you think will work for the long haul. Then buy more if it's going to work. I am NOT advocating buying 1 workbook and photocopying for the long haul...just for a trial. If it makes you squeamish you could write and ask permission. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 How do you decide between time and money? This will probably sound terrible but we are def. not well swimming in loads of money BUT with that in mind...I make it work with the money..because I tried the "free" schooling and it didn't work...then I tried to cut corners and prep as much as I could on my own...and it was a FLOP because I just lost the motivation..this year was the FIRST year that I went with time and ease and it's been SUCH A BLESSING to our homeschooling journey!!! I will do it again if I can make the money work again in the years to come. We pull aside a part of our tax return to do this. But before we were spending $300/yr for both of my homeschool children. This included all SUPPLIES, CURRICULUM and MISC. Now we're spending in the upper hundreds to maxing at about $900 for the school year and it's WORTH it! Because I have a toddler on top of it all! if it was just the girls I would continue prepping my own things and cutting corners on certain things when it came to workbooks and such..but now that there is a 2 year old in the mix I NEED and the girls NEED the workbooks and ease of schooling!! and KEEP telling yourself this!! On the other hand, it seems having the student books would make my life much easier. Less preparation for me and more independence for them because it's the TRUTH!!!! And as for this statement At least I assume they make it more independent? Even if this doesn't prove to be 100%..it'll make things smoother for EVERYONE...open and GO! I wasn't able to pinpoint directly about the greek issue but I wanted to reply about the basic overall questions and concerns you had. I however do photocopy certain workbooks since I have multiple children in the particular subject but it states in these certain workbooks that I'm able to do so for personal/homeschool purpose. However it states not for public or coop use in the photocopying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Honestly, I signed my kids up for online classes for this coming school year due to "ease of use". They get someone teaching them 2 1/2 hours per week for each subject. I chose the really teacher intensive ones: grammar, writing, literature, latin and history to be done online. I can take care of Math myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oraetstudia Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 When I have enough money, I generally opt for buying the whole thing that I want to use, because it does make my life easier. As much as possible, these days, I buy workbooks in pdf versions. I love that option and then I can print as many copies as I need and reuse it for later kids. I was just figuring out my costs for the school books I want for next year and although the costs for my upcoming 6th grader and for my 3rd grader are high-ish, the books for my rising 2nd grader is less than $50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I look at the cost of getting school done. When I first started using Shurley English I didn't buy the booklet with the daily sentences in it. I would instead write the sentences out each day. I loathed writing those sentences. It sounds silly, but there were times grammar didn't get done because I didn't have the sentences written out. About halfway through that first year, I bought the sentence book. What a difference. I no longer dreaded English. It started happening. So basically, I look not only at my time but also my attitude about things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Even though money is really tight around here, I generally go for ease-of-use. DD is just 5, but I gravitate towards open-and-go, and she is even set up to do some independent work. As she gets older, she will become more and more responsible for her own education. But that is just because of our particular situation. I'm a single mom, right now in school and eventually will be working. If I *had* the time, I'd probably put more effort into doing it cheaper. It doesn't sound like you have a whole lot of time either, with little ones running around!! Do you really think it will get done if you don't get the extra workbooks? Could you just put the money aside and try it for a few weeks without the books, and if it doesn't work buy them? Are you set on using this particular program? If so, I'd do what you need to do to make it work for you, whether that is buying the extra books or putting in the time to pull it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 but I wonder about the cost of HSing. I am overwhelmed by the total amount of money one could spend to do this. I have three children and I think we'll probably spend over $1,000 (including all supplies, but not field trips, etc.). I wonder if that is a newbie mistake, but I don't know how to cut back.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I choose practically everything over cost: ease of use, effectiveness, enjoyment...I'll pay more money for any of those things. but I wonder about the cost of HSing. I am overwhelmed by the total amount of money one could spend to do this. I have three children and I think we'll probably spend over $1,000 (including all supplies, but not field trips, etc.). I wonder if that is a newbie mistake, but I don't know how to cut back.:confused: That doesn't sound like too much to me, but see the above and decide whether or not you want to be like me. lol I could do it for free, but it just wouldn't be fun for me, and I don't want to invest that much time into using free resources. I'd rather be playing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, you know me. That said, do you think you could make it work with only the core book and download? You would have the summer to make worksheets, right? If you only bought the core book, you would have enough left to get that Greek program you want. My thought would be, if you really wanted to spend the money, get the core book/download and Greek workbook. I will say that I have looked at the CW program several times, have downloaded the samples and looked them over, and have reached the conclusion that what I am already using is perfectly fine--and free. Could you try the free options for say, 6 weeks, then reevaluate? You wouldn't have invested anything, so no monetary loss would be involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 One more thought.... This has nothing to do with writing. Could you make some of those bagged activities for the toddler to work with to free up some of your time to work with the other children? I think you can google toddler activities in a bag, or something like that. There should be plenty of free lists posted on the web. You could put them together over the summer as you have time. Maybe you could assemble something similar for your kindergarten child, too. Just trying to help you keep your sanity.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 You could check if you can buy the CW books as PDFs and then print for each child. I was able to buy the CW Primer as PDFs for much less than the price of the printed book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I pick ease of use over cost....but....I pick doing a few things really well over doing many things. I try to be efficient with my methods, too. If I can double-dip (like using studied dictation for spelling and grammar), I do. I have determined that small bites of consistent, quality work gets the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3byzaz Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have been homeschooling for 9 years now. Goodness...anyway, for about 8 and a half of those years, I have scrimped and saved and sold and sacrificed. I have bought used and I have passed up curriculum's due to cost. God has blessed us a bunch lately and I finally saved a bunch to purchase this next years stuff. It has come along at a good time cuz my oldest will be doing 9th grade and oh goodness it is expensive no matter how you slice it. All that to say, that in the last few months I have been purchasing what I need and what I think will work well in certain areas. AAS is the perfect example - I LOVE this and I don't usually love teacher intensive programs. I am enjoying doing it with my boys and it is expensive. Now, I know I will re-sell and get back a lot of the investment - but it is also just that - an investment. I am determined to still be my usual thrifty self, but also to get what is as ideal for each boy as I can possibly figure out - what God has led me to for a subject. I am feeling so blessed and so much more enthusiastic about homeschooling. This after very much praying and considering putting them in school due to burn out and difficulties with school. So, unfortunately, I am going with ease of use as much as I can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I've found that the times that I decide to do things myself to save money, I often (not always, but often) end up not getting it done, or getting it done sporadically. Generally, investing the extra money pays more as far getting the schoolwork done than trying to do it myself saves in money. If that makes sense. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 but I wonder about the cost of HSing. I am overwhelmed by the total amount of money one could spend to do this. I have three children and I think we'll probably spend over $1,000 (including all supplies, but not field trips, etc.). I wonder if that is a newbie mistake, but I don't know how to cut back.:confused: What are the ages of your children? Jr. high and high school is expensive from what I hear, but if you've only got elementary aged-children that sounds very high to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I definitely go for ease of use over money. My TIME is valuable and if spending a bit more means I have more time to get other things done, then I'm all for it. I can figure out the money, but I can't make more time. Like others have said, see if what you want is available as a download. If it is (downloads are usually less expensive), you can print off as many copies as you want. In the end, with the cost of paper and ink, it will likely work out to be the same, but the cost is spread out, so it's not so bad. Make sure you back up and downloads to an external hard drive though, just in case something happens to your computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamachanse Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I prepared almost everything myself, relying primarily on primary sources, for my son's first year and a half. We didn't cover nearly as much as we could have if I went for ease. Now that I have a Ker as well and a toddler and a newborn, I am finally doing what I should have done long ago...buying curricula. I will cut corners elsewhere if I need to. I do still have some prep work (I.e. I didn't buy the WWE workbooks) but it is minimal. There is no price for my sanity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnL Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 This was my second year homeschooling, and my first year with more than one child. (My dd was at public school through last year, 3rd grade). I am doing ecclectic, DIY style this year and I am dissatisfied with it. We are not getting as much done as I would like. It's okay for this year, especially for my 1st grader, but next year, I will have a 5th grader, 2nd grader, and young kindergartener. While kindergarten is easily mapped out and should be flexible, it's my older 2 that I worry about. I have found I will be needing to purchase more curriculum for the upcoming year. I'm trying to figure out what, exactly, I should get for them. Money is tight and we just can't afford to fall into that well-known trap of buying a curricula, using it only a little while, then buying something else. It is necessary that I get it right the first time. And I agree with whomever said that it is nice to get more than one subject done at once. Such as, using history reading for grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, as well. I do like workbooks on the computer for multiple uses. Especially if it uses just black ink, and I can use my laser printer. I concur with the Hive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I've found that the times that I decide to do things myself to save money, I often (not always, but often) end up not getting it done, or getting it done sporadically. Generally, investing the extra money pays more as far getting the schoolwork done than trying to do it myself saves in money. If that makes sense. :001_huh: :iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckymama Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We do a little of both. We buy Singapore Math workbooks and most of the HWOT workbooks and Latin workbooks and AAH workbooks(lots of cutting and pasting involved). But, some things I will buy one workbook and the kids can write on notebook paper: WWE and FLL workbooks, last level of print and cursive workbooks, Singapore word problems workbooks. Some things I will buy the e-book so we can print out for each child what they need when they need: Elemental Science grammar Chem and Physics, MOH activity cds. I am not familiar with either of the curriculums you are using, but there are options. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 How do you decide between time and money? This will probably sound terrible but we are def. not well swimming in loads of money BUT with that in mind...I make it work with the money..because I tried the "free" schooling and it didn't work...then I tried to cut corners and prep as much as I could on my own...and it was a FLOP because I just lost the motivation..this year was the FIRST year that I went with time and ease and it's been SUCH A BLESSING to our homeschooling journey!!! I will do it again if I can make the money work again in the years to come. We pull aside a part of our tax return to do this. But before we were spending $300/yr for both of my homeschool children. This included all SUPPLIES, CURRICULUM and MISC. Now we're spending in the upper hundreds to maxing at about $900 for the school year and it's WORTH it! Because I have a toddler on top of it all! if it was just the girls I would continue prepping my own things and cutting corners on certain things when it came to workbooks and such..but now that there is a 2 year old in the mix I NEED and the girls NEED the workbooks and ease of schooling!! and KEEP telling yourself this!! because it's the TRUTH!!!! And as for this statement Even if this doesn't prove to be 100%..it'll make things smoother for EVERYONE...open and GO! I wasn't able to pinpoint directly about the greek issue but I wanted to reply about the basic overall questions and concerns you had. I however do photocopy certain workbooks since I have multiple children in the particular subject but it states in these certain workbooks that I'm able to do so for personal/homeschool purpose. However it states not for public or coop use in the photocopying. AMEN. My husband made less than $30K last year and we school 7dc....I'd rather skip ordering pizza, eating McD, buying coffee, even the local newspaper and spend every spare penny on school. When I did it myself, I was exhausted. I need to be strong to be my best and to offer them my best. If I put too much together, my carpal tunnel is horid and I am not so nice.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 What I buy is also changing. When I was only thinking about one dc, workbook cost wasn't really an issue. Now that I am faced with almost three students next year and two more to go, nonconsumables are becoming pretty important. It's not so bad to spend $15-$20 on workbooks for one dc, but it hurts for 3+ dc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 How do you decide between time and money? This will probably sound terrible but we are def. not well swimming in loads of money BUT with that in mind...I make it work with the money..because I tried the "free" schooling and it didn't work...then I tried to cut corners and prep as much as I could on my own...and it was a FLOP because I just lost the motivation..this year was the FIRST year that I went with time and ease and it's been SUCH A BLESSING to our homeschooling journey!!! I will do it again if I can make the money work again in the years to come. . Same here, we tried low cost in the past, but this year I decided to just go ahead and spend the $$. We are doing much better at staying on track. In the end the cost wasn't really that much either, I've spent less then $500 total for both kids(bought used curriculum= save a bundle). I really think it's a balancing act. Buy an open and go for what YOU have trouble with and do your own thing for what you excel at. Be willing to pick and choose from different curriculum/publishers, we use WWE and SOTW from TWTM, K12 HO (not online), CPO and PH earth science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 but I wonder about the cost of HSing. I am overwhelmed by the total amount of money one could spend to do this. I have three children and I think we'll probably spend over $1,000 (including all supplies, but not field trips, etc.). I wonder if that is a newbie mistake, but I don't know how to cut back.:confused: Not to hijack this thread, but if you listed what you're thinking of buying for curriculum, others might be able to point you to cheaper options/alternatives? That might be a good thread to start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I have been thinking about this a lot today...I wanted to add there is always a cost: printing, time. lack of doing planning stuff vs. cleaning my house, etc....free is not so free in my experience :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Nothing drives me more batty than running out of ink in the middle of a lesson, not having things on hand, etc. I always, always opt for ease of use! That said: knowing that I always opt for ease of use, I would never pick any writing program in the first place that costs 54.00 per workbook, not including the TM. :) So in your situation, I would say, if you have the money and you can swing it without being irresponsible, buy the workbooks. But next time set your heart on something cheaper! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 That said, do you think you could make it work with only the core book and download? You would have the summer to make worksheets, right? If you only bought the core book, you would have enough left to get that Greek program you want. My thought would be, if you really wanted to spend the money, get the core book/download and Greek workbook. I think this is what I'll do, at least for Aesop. I can whip up a spelling words form pretty fast (or use a notebook), and I'm going to let DS type his paper anyway. Could you make some of those bagged activities for the toddler to work with to free up some of your time to work with the other children? I think you can google toddler activities in a bag, or something like that. There should be plenty of free lists posted on the web. You could put them together over the summer as you have time. Maybe you could assemble something similar for your kindergarten child, too. Just trying to help you keep your sanity.... I'd like to make some toddler bags. I'm just worried that I'll be making more mess - I get tired of trying to get people to clean up. :banghead: You could check if you can buy the CW books as PDFs and then print for each child. I was able to buy the CW Primer as PDFs for much less than the price of the printed book. I emailed them. They (CW) are considering what sounds like a non-printable book, I replied and mentioned the PDFs for WWE as an example. No reply yet though. I emailed EG, they have the 2nd workbook available as a Kindle ebook, but I'm not sure you can print it. Plus I don't have a Kindle. I've found that the times that I decide to do things myself to save money, I often (not always, but often) end up not getting it done, or getting it done sporadically. Generally, investing the extra money pays more as far getting the schoolwork done than trying to do it myself saves in money. If that makes sense. :001_huh: Perfect sense, this is my conclusion as well. I have been thinking about this a lot today...I wanted to add there is always a cost: printing, time. lack of doing planning stuff vs. cleaning my house, etc....free is not so free in my experience :) Yes, my house can attest to this... :ack2: (I suffer from what Flylady calls CHAOS - can't have anyone over syndrome.) Thank you all, right now I think I'll look at CW Aesop first without the wrokbooks, but get everything for Elementary Greek. In the past I've stuck with non-consumables or PDFs that I can print, but I need more time right now. Especially since I'm hoping/trying to find a job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Always buy as much as you can possibly afford. When I have been desperately broke, I was also desperately motivated to make the best of what I had. We did okay with the most measly of resources. But our whole lives were lived with a different mind set. When the threat of starvation is removed, and I attempt to just be stingy with my supplies, all that happens is less learning. Always buy the best you can afford for educational and art supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well, my children are K, 1st, and 2nd (yes, I know that is close together ;)). After reading all the responses, I believe my problem is that I want to do it all. So maybe if I take a look at what is essential I can make more specific choices. At the end of the day, though, I think I'm the kind of person that goes for ease of use over cost. I want to be able to complete the curriculum I buy! Thanks for your help here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I'm glad you are having some peace with your decisions. You are the one who knows best what will work for you and your situation. All I can do is offer suggestions, and I realize that what works for me may not work for you. As far as CHAOS goes, I completely understand. There will probably always be a bit of it hanging around when you homeschool your children. We are all spending the prime hours of the day sacrificing our time and efforts to give our children the best education we can offer them. A teacher in a brick and mortar school may have a few folders or a small bookcase filled with books lying around her home; but she will not have papers strewn, piles of books, projects in progress, etc. that a homeschooler may have. What works for me is spending time taming *the beast* as I call it. Weekends are catch up time, filing time, reorganizing time, etc. Perhaps things will have a smoother flow if you can find an organization method which works best for you and your family. A closet could hold all of the school books after school is done. Put them in crates, stack them, then store them in the closet (or wherever works best for you). Having things stored at the end of the day may give you some peace. I'm working this week on this very thing, so I hope you don't feel I'm offering advice I wouldn't follow myself. :grouphug: Maybe as the summer approaches you can allot an hour each morning or evening to following a plan to make your days easier for the next school year. Could all of the kids listen to an audio book and color while you study, plan, print, organize, etc.? Just throwing out some thoughts to help... Back to ease of use... Do what you feel will work best for you in the long run. I'm a soapbox preacher for free resources often because I read so many posts here about people investing in an expensive program only to find out it was more than they bargained for. That can be an obstacle too---figuring out a new program and how you can make it work for your children. There will always be time and effort (and yes, a bit of money) involved with anything you choose. The many posts about the *TOG fog* come to mind. (Not throwing stones at that particular program, but just mentioning it because it seems to pop up here often.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Always buy as much as you can possibly afford. When I have been desperately broke, I was also desperately motivated to make the best of what I had. We did okay with the most measly of resources. But our whole lives were lived with a different mind set. When the threat of starvation is removed, and I attempt to just be stingy with my supplies, all that happens is less learning. Always buy the best you can afford for educational and art supplies. You said this so well. Amen. Amen. Amen. CHAOS...you mean like laundry baskets of books I need to put away all over the place? Or maybe that I am *finally* caught up on 2 weeks worth of laundry....or maybe that my garage looks like a junkyard (AGAIN) and I just cleaned it a month ago.....or maybe....or maybe.....CHAOS? What's that? :lol: But I have lesson planning already started for next year and my blog actually got updated more than once this month! *MY* stuff is fine :) Just the common areas are looking a bit less common and more used! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 Always buy as much as you can possibly afford. When I have been desperately broke, I was also desperately motivated to make the best of what I had. We did okay with the most measly of resources. But our whole lives were lived with a different mind set. When the threat of starvation is removed, and I attempt to just be stingy with my supplies, all that happens is less learning. Always buy the best you can afford for educational and art supplies. Well said, thank you. I think I'm in the same place. As far as CHAOS goes, I completely understand. There will probably always be a bit of it hanging around when you homeschool your children. We are all spending the prime hours of the day sacrificing our time and efforts to give our children the best education we can offer them. A teacher in a brick and mortar school may have a few folders or a small bookcase filled with books lying around her home; but she will not have papers strewn, piles of books, projects in progress, etc. that a homeschooler may have. What works for me is spending time taming *the beast* as I call it. Weekends are catch up time, filing time, reorganizing time, etc. Perhaps things will have a smoother flow if you can find an organization method which works best for you and your family. A closet could hold all of the school books after school is done. Put them in crates, stack them, then store them in the closet (or wherever works best for you). Having things stored at the end of the day may give you some peace. I'm working this week on this very thing, so I hope you don't feel I'm offering advice I wouldn't follow myself. :grouphug: Maybe as the summer approaches you can allot an hour each morning or evening to following a plan to make your days easier for the next school year. Could all of the kids listen to an audio book and color while you study, plan, print, organize, etc.? Just throwing out some thoughts to help... Back to ease of use... Do what you feel will work best for you in the long run. I'm a soapbox preacher for free resources often because I read so many posts here about people investing in an expensive program only to find out it was more than they bargained for. That can be an obstacle too---figuring out a new program and how you can make it work for your children. There will always be time and effort (and yes, a bit of money) involved with anything you choose. The many posts about the *TOG fog* come to mind. (Not throwing stones at that particular program, but just mentioning it because it seems to pop up here often.) Well I still love the free/vintage stuff. MEP is staying; so is KISS Grammar, the Outdoor Hour Challenge and many older, living books (many of LCC's selections, plus AO's). I'm looking at next year with 2 realizations. #1 if an adult in this house doesn't find a job soon school will be the least of our worries (aka I need to streamline - especially if I end up working outside the home; even though it is ironic to spend more money because I need more money). #2 I really want to use Nutting's Latin Primer - it's a charming book, so I was going to make that my priority this year. I'd love to develop some teaching helps and a workbook for it. You said this so well. Amen. Amen. Amen. CHAOS...you mean like laundry baskets of books I need to put away all over the place? Or maybe that I am *finally* caught up on 2 weeks worth of laundry....or maybe that my garage looks like a junkyard (AGAIN) and I just cleaned it a month ago.....or maybe....or maybe.....CHAOS? What's that? :lol: But I have lesson planning already started for next year and my blog actually got updated more than once this month! *MY* stuff is fine :) Just the common areas are looking a bit less common and more used! Well I've erased my rant twice now so I don't derail my own thread. Let's say that DH has been told everyone will be cleaning up after themselves, I am going to win this war, this is the hill I'm willing to die on, nice is out :smash: is in, etc ... My house is really bad, only partly due to more stuff/people than space. (I'd like to say my 8 year old is very helpful and not included in the above rant.) One good change I've made is that everyone is now doing their own laundry because I am horrible at laundry. I just hate it. So I do mine and DDs, I help DS4 a lot, and the other three do their own. And I'm drooling over HST+ this year. It has such pretty printouts, better than all the Excel plans I did last year. But I have already purchased most of what I'll need, except the originally mentioned programs. (And Aesop has to wait until my oldest is reading at a normal pace.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poke Salad Annie Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 #2 I really want to use Nutting's Latin Primer - it's a charming book, so I was going to make that my priority this year. I'd love to develop some teaching helps and a workbook for it. We're still working through GSWL, but maybe over the summer we can work together and post some ideas for lessons or a workbook together for everyone here. That might be fun. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txhomemom Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I definitely think ease of use is the winner here. That said, there were many years we could not afford to buy all the curriculum we would have liked. There are ways to be frugal with curriculum buying without causing too much burden. Depending on how soon I need something, I spend at least a few months looking on used boards for what I need. Workbooks are a little trickier and I never had to deal with teaching more than one so I can see where that gets pricey. Sometimes I rule out curriculum just based on price...hate to have to do that...but a really great education can be accomplished from even the simplest of resources. I think we all try too hard for perfection. This next year I plan on spending a little more on curriculum and getting something that will get done and is easy for us to use. I will have to raise money before I make that purchase though, but I am good at having garage sales and such so not too worried about it. Something that I have done in the past is try to break my purchases down into semesters or quarters. For example, I plan to by X, Y, and Z in September and then A, B, and C in January. Some curriculum it is easier to do this with, but it helps to break the cost down. Another example to save money, teach science in the fall, history in the spring, or I know some also teach those subjects in the summer, so basically, all year you could be doing the basics, math, language arts, etc and then just do science and/or history in the summer. It is way to keep the teaching a little simpler and keep the cost down. I guess I am just a frugal homeschooling mom, but I did not work a single job this year, but managed to sell and raise money for everything we needed as far as curriculum, clothes, baby items (stroller, high chair)...I completely paid for all those items through money I made selling stuff. I figure if I want that stuff bad enough then I will have to get rid of other stuff we have sitting around. This helps us a lot so that my dh's paycheck can go to just bills and savings. Anyway, off to organize my next garage sale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 One good change I've made is that everyone is now doing their own laundry because I am horrible at laundry. I just hate it. So I do mine and DDs, I help DS4 a lot, and the other three do their own.[\QUOTE] I like doing laundry, but my dc do their own laundry. :D. Everyone has an assigned day for washing bedding. The dc do their towels and bathroom rugs on a schedule too. My favorite laundry tip is to have a darks basket and a lights/whites basket. No sorting! It is done as you take off your clothes. I just replaced ds's baskets at the dollar store, so it doesn't have to be expensive, and he has a small closet too. Some days me dc will put their loads together to have a full load. The latest addition to our laundry room is cheapo timers, one for the washer and one for the dryer. Now no more wet clothes forgotten in the washer or partially dried clothes left in the dryer for hours! Not what you were asking about, but you are looking to simplify, so I had to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I am all for ease of use. I do buy pdf's or other things I can copy or use for more than one child. But I way to old to beat my head against the wall making plans. There is just to much to do, and not enough time to do it in. I blinked and my first set of kids were grown, and the second ones just babies. I have no desire to blink again. I am going to make the most of every single moment ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I totally did NOT read all the replies, but my first thought was: Could you just get ONE workbook and then have them write their answers on separate paper? That might make the cost more reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 It's a sliding scale for me. For the very basics, I choose ease over cost: math, handwriting, and writing. For the rest, I triage. I *need* to stay in budget--there isn't much wiggle room. I am also careful not to curriculum hop--being able to pass down books and only have to rebuy workbooks has been helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I convert every cost into hours of work required to *clear* that amount, by either dh or I working. We really could afford to buy whatever, but our thrift means dh can work PT (I do PT from home as well), so it really is meaningful when you say buying X means dh has to work hard and be away from us for an additional 8 hours to pay for it. Or if it means he has to take a 30 hr/wk shift instead of a 24 hr/wk one. Would the family be better off with more of his tome or more things? Those are REAL consequences of my choices, so it makes the question "is X worth it?" much more concrete! The other thing I do is think about what our real specific goals are, then I can ask whether spending $$$ will really get us closer to those goals. Will it really make a difference in the long run? I think esp in early elementary it's easy to get by with less $$. Needless to say, I tend to do things on the cheap. On the other hand, I've bought great equipment. We don't mind spending $$ on things that are worth it -- I just like to make sure they are worth it! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pryde55 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 3Blessings ~ What are the ages of your children? Have you considered teaching them off one curriculum? When I started just a year and a half ago, I went to my homeschooling friends who had at least three to five kids. All of them, at least for the elementary & middle school ages, recommended for sanity & cost's sake to homeschool from the same curriculum, with younger kids using grade-/reading level appropriate materials for math. I homeschool both of mine from the same history & science curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Yes, I will do the same. For now, my kids will all be LG in TOG so that should help. Science- we are still deciding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I convert every cost into hours of work required to *clear* that amount, by either dh or I working. We really could afford to buy whatever, but our thrift means dh can work PT (I do PT from home as well), so it really is meaningful when you say buying X means dh has to work hard and be away from us for an additional 8 hours to pay for it. Or if it means he has to take a 30 hr/wk shift instead of a 24 hr/wk one. Would the family be better off with more of his tome or more things? Those are REAL consequences of my choices, so it makes the question "is X worth it?" much more concrete! The other thing I do is think about what our real specific goals are, then I can ask whether spending $$$ will really get us closer to those goals. Will it really make a difference in the long run? I think esp in early elementary it's easy to get by with less $$. Needless to say, I tend to do things on the cheap. On the other hand, I've bought great equipment. We don't mind spending $$ on things that are worth it -- I just like to make sure they are worth it! :D This is such a great way of approaching things. I used to do this but then got out of the habit when DH was unemployed. Thanks for the reminder :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Well, my children are K, 1st, and 2nd (yes, I know that is close together ;)). After reading all the responses, I believe my problem is that I want to do it all. So maybe if I take a look at what is essential I can make more specific choices. At the end of the day, though, I think I'm the kind of person that goes for ease of use over cost. I want to be able to complete the curriculum I buy! Thanks for your help here. I think you're onto something here. I think overspending can often be connected to insecurity (am I doing enough/grass-is-greener), or overly ambitious plans. Sound investments into core programs are a good thing. Accumulating shelf upon shelf of good intentions, but unrealistic plans are not. I've definitely done both. I'm at the point in our homeschool journey where I'm not afraid to spend a chunk of money on quality materials, but I've also gotten MUCH better at knowing what will serve our family. On the practical side, I also buy used when I can, resell stuff we're done with, ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Tough decision. The older I get though, the more I find I'm willing to err on the side of money over time. I guess I know what I'm likely to get done and what I'm NOT likely to get done, and that it's worth it to me to pay for the work that I realistically am not likely to get to. All within reasonable budget constraints of course! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesteadMommy Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 It is always a hard choice! If a curriculum is to hard to use, free or not then it just doesn't get done here. Works been really tight for us for a while, so I try to find free sources when I can. For example, it was going to cost us about $300 to buy MUS for 3 grades this year. I just couldn't do it. So we tried MEP and MM, free and cheep and it's working great! But if I had to pull together a full math program for each grade from scratch that would take a lot of my time. I've been sick a lot the past year, so that just wouldn't work. I was really glad to find the right balance for math. For other subjects I try to buy pdf's so I can use them for all of my children. I also find that unit study's and multilevel books work great for me. When I picked out a French program, I went for an audio one we could do as a family. It has workbooks you can buy, but I could easily make my own biased on the audio and read along book. We were really lucky about 4 years ago we got a good tax refund. Nothing was broken and needing replacing at that time. :lol: So I used the money to pre buy anything I thought we could use for grades k to 8ish. Basically I picked out FIAR vol 1 -3, SOTW Vol 1 -4 and activity guides 1-3. And science books for the same grade range at multi levels. And I bought some things that were just for that year alone. That has saved me a TON of time. I just don't have time to pull a full curriculum together for everyone. Now if I HAD to I would, but it would come at the expense of something else. So I would probably go with something like AO, that has done a lot of planning already. Sorry I'm rambling, flu induced brain fog. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K8LYN Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I'm not sure what I will do if my kids need to use the same materials at the same time... But for preschool/kindergarten, everything is laminated. No copyright laws are violated and all the kids can use the same workbooks. (Of course, then you have the lamination cost, but if you prepare and buy in bulk it is about 12 cents per lamination, and it definitely saves $$ if you are goign to use the same materials for more than two kids.) For other workbooks, I break the binding and place each page in a sheet protector and use dry erase (there are fine tip markers). You can leave their work intact until you are ready to 'clean the slate' for the next sutdent. --- Not sure this would work if you had two students using the same book at the same time? Then there is the option of making the kids do copywork form teh book just like they would if they were attending public school. This does not work for everything, but it does work for math and some of the geography- who really needs to write in the space provided. Many times rewriting the question, then answering it helps solidify the information. Or better yet have the question as part of the answer for better comprehension and more cohesive writing skills. Otherwise- we go half and half. There are programs and materials that are perfect, so why not pay a little more for it. Other programs are more easily changed to better suit the needs of the students. I don't htink your plan is too much, but frugality it high on my priority lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RecumbentHeart Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingHope Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 (edited) I prefer methods and nonconsumables ...saving money to buy tons of books that I find inexpensively or must haves that are not in our library system. The best and cheapest resources that I use for the 3 R's: Writing Susan Wise Bauer's writing/homeschooling audio lectures:001_wub: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/audio-products/audio-lectures.html Robinson Curriculum: write a page a day Rod and Staff English (...can get by with only the Teachers Edition with post-it notes covering the answers in the margin) Reading Library Card and I buy tons of books from library sales. All Through the Ages (ebook, this is my favorite booklist resource) 'Rithmetic Practical Arithmetic (2 little, hardcover books for $28, complete elementary math program) http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/category/PracticalArithmeticsCurriculumSeriesForHomeschool Janell P.S. I am a mother of seven children ages 1-13. We have 19 bookcases of books. I buy books from friends of the library book sales. Edited April 8, 2011 by LivingHope link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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