cost of hs'ing am I missing something?

[cuckoomamma]

I agree with everyone else. Amazon is great. I've even been successful with ebay. Used curriculum sales can be hit or miss. A pp mentioned that it's either time or money, and I find that to be true. Now that I have a 10 yo, I need some things to be more cohesive for me. It used to be fine to pull things together from different books. Now hs 2 children, I don't have as much time. You'll either use your materials again or sell them!

 

As hs we save lots of money in the "right" clothes, sneakers, shoes, fundraisers, teacher gifts, lunches, etc. Hang in there! Also wanted to mention that around the holidays you can get deals for 1/2 off magazine subscriptions to Cobblestone type magazines.

[GoVanGogh]

Yeah, my typo was extremely confusing.

It was an obvious typo, so not confusing, IMO.

 

 

We had planned all along on putting our child in a private school, but then started researching them and realized that most were $600-800 a month, plus another $1,000/year in fees. :001_huh: DH and I visited a dozen or so private schools before we looked at each other and said, "Hm. What could *we* teach DS if we spent that type of money?" Now, we never, ever spend anywhere near that much, but that is the attitude we took when we started homeschooling five years ago.

 

I start shopping a year or two early, so I can find things used. If I find something used that I think we might use on down the road, I go ahead and buy it.

 

I also think that the first year or two of homeschooling is the most expensive. It is the time that you are trying to find your path and your teaching style, while trying to figure out your child's learning style. Everything looks new and exciting, so it is easy to overbuy. Plus, that is the time you are stocking your school with whiteboards, erasers, etc., and building a quality home library.

 

As others have said, I think homeschooling is still cheaper in the long run than "free" public school. We have two friends in our neighborhood that attend public school and parents constantly complain about the cost of yearbooks, school spirit night, school T-shirts, etc.

I also know that if my child went to public school, we would be spending quite a bit more on his clothing.

 

We would still be doing many of his outside activities, like music and art lessons, as those aren't offered at the level DS desires.

[Colleen in NS]

This is my first year homeschooling. After spending lots of time reading through all the curriculum options, I'm going to buy pretty much what the WTM recommends. This is easiest for me since I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the choices anyway and I think I can adapt as I go for my kids learning styles.

 

I am astounded at how much everything is costing. Am I missing something, is there a cheaper way? So far from the peace hill press I have spelling/reading/writing/grammar and the SOTW books, for my rising 2nd grader & a rising K/1, and my cart says $231.00!

 

What is in your shopping cart?

[texasmama]

I will end up spending about $1000 for next year for 3 elementary-aged students, but I pass down nonconsumables from kid to kid. We are entering out fourth year of homeschooling. This figure includes all curriculum and homeschool co op classes.

[justamouse]

Yup, that's about right. And more. You can do it cheaper, but I've found that the first few years I spent about 1k. Now I spend about 200 here and there with new stuff because I've built up my curric so that when the smallers come along, I just grab what I need off the shelf.

[Elizabeth in WA]

The most I spend is between $1000-$1500 for everyone.

 

I'll be spending that much on chemistry labs alone. :glare: But, that is a choice I have made to want to full size full on chemistry lab experience for my kids, and we will be reusing the investment in glassware and hardware for the rest of our homeschooling years. :)

 

For actual curriculum, I shop used extensively, and Rainbow Resource, CBD, and Amazon for new if the price differential is small. For high school, I troll Goodwill for used intro level College texts as well as the above. My lab costs will far exceed book costs even though I buy all our books because I just can;t stay on top of the library and end up incurring too many fines to make that worth while. I take the kids to a used book store to find free reading on the theory that $2 or so a book is like prepaying the fines and we get to keep them.

[janainaz]

Yes. Homeschooling your children is an expense. However, almost everything I have purchased will be put to use again by my younger son. I may need to replace certain workbooks that I chose not to copy, but that is a menial expense. Educating your kids will be an investment, but you can purchase gently used material on the internet and save a great deal of money.

[G5052]

You don't necessarily need EVERYTHING on your first day. I was able to swing that the first few years of homeschooling, but after that I planned my purchases so that I was buying year-round, here and there.

 

If things don't work out or you decide that you're done with something, resell it. I'm perpetually reselling. ;)

[happypamama]

I have an extremely limited budget, but I do have a fantastic library system and am good at finding stuff online. This is how I get the most for my money:

 

-Watch amazon for sales, and get free shipping. I do this with a very few items.

 

-Our co-op has a lending library that any member can use. Our math texts for next year came from there.

 

-I've had excellent success with watching homeschoolclassifieds.com and have gotten some fabulous deals there.

 

-Local e-mail lists. I just scored a like-new copy of SOTW 1 AND its very good condition activity guide for a total of $5 for both!

 

-I don't use much pre-packaged curricula; I generally put together my own. A few blocks of time usually gets the bulk of it done, so my DH will take the children to do something special on a weekend while I work -- win-win for everyone!

 

-Many items are available free online -- mainlesson.com provided many of our history and literature selections last year (for the cost of printing, though if you read directly from your computer or from an e-reader, even better), and we often download audio books from librivox.org.

 

-Grandparents give books and other supplies as gifts or donations.

 

-I have learned very well how to use my library's inter-library loan program. My card is coded for three counties' systems, plus I can have my home library branch order stuff from anywhere else in the state.

 

-I have a Staples teacher's card, and I stock up on the spiral notebooks and three-prong folders when they go for a penny each. I use them to create my own record books -- no tracking software needed.

[kolamum]

I think there are a lot of factors involved when it comes to cost.

 

1. What method of schooling will you use. I think some are cheaper then others. That doesn't mean you should change what you feel is best, it's just a fact or point I'm listing.

 

2. Do you need more then one grade at a time? If you homeschool say 4 children but ONLY buy for the eldest and reuse each of those books with the next child in long divide your upfront price amongst 4 and that's what you're really paying. Beware though, not all children learn the same and you may find on occasion you need to get something different.

 

3. Do you need brand new or can you deal with used? There are a LOT of options for buying stuff second hand. Ebay, Half.com, Amazon, Homeschool Reviews, WTM Board, and on and on I could go.

 

4. Curriculum choices. This can factor price just as much as method or style of homeschooling can. Some math programme can cost in the hundreds while others don't. Some curriculums can cover more then one topic at a time, these are more economical choices, but they may not fit your needs or desires.

 

 

This is the first year I've spent more then $200. The only other year I've come close to that was our very first year, and even then I was under.

[ChandlerMom]

I would try to fight the newbie splurge-fest: I think it is really easy to overspend the first year. Think: library, used, and progressive.

 

Use your library, including getting your hands on SOTW materials. Read a but and do an activity or two to see if it's right for you. I ended up liking the book but liked other (free) resources better than the AG.

 

Another good used book source: betterworldbooks.com I always check them and Amazon. I definitely had to get over my "cracking the spine of a new book addiction! :D

 

Consider getting just the first month or semester of stuff (that you can't get at the library): see how you REALLY like it before you invest. In the early years, just reading the books on the program lists with your child and discussing them can get you most of the learning and for free.

 

Finally, you might want to start simple -- SOTW, reading (keep stocked from a supply of good lit from the library), math. You can do journaling/free writing or handwriting. For science you can do it topically or nature study (or go to the sci museum and them get library books on subjects of interest). As you get more comfortable and less overwhelmed, you can add in the LA, formal science, etc. Starting out less really IS more -- you and dc need to adjust and fewer "subjects" mean easier scheduling means less stress means happier mom!

 

Some people hs totally for free and others spend thousands per kid. Cost doesn't equal quality, it depends on your teaching style and convenience factor.

[lillysmom216]

I'll be spending that much on chemistry labs alone. :glare: But, that is a choice I have made to want to full size full on chemistry lab experience for my kids, and we will be reusing the investment in glassware and hardware for the rest of our homeschooling years. :)

 

 

You may want to try any colleges or schools near you. I was able to get a huge boxful of things free because they were upgrading. Not sure why you need to upgrade a beaker, but I was happy they did :)

[foxbridgeacademy]

I save money by buying used where I can, also looking for free resources, like spelling city, MEP math, superteacher worksheets, ect...