s/o Homeschooling Cheaper than Public School?!?

[Tarreymere]

I used to homeschool. I do not spend more on clothing now than I did before and I have a teenage dd who presumably is at an age where a girls wants a lot of clothing. We assess her closet which contains a mix of hand me downs and discount store apparel. If she needs something, I buy it. Most likely I buy it at a discount place, but I may shop based on quality as I did recently for hiking boots. If she wants something she buys it with her money (pet sitting). Last summer she went to Payless and bought several pairs of shoes to fill her wardrobe.

 

Older ds wear t shirts and jeans daily, as he did at home.

 

So, I don't get the "spending more money on clothes" when kids are in ps.

 

I spent on curriculum. I know some people could hs with the library and whatever they found cheaply. I had very specific reasons for hs and my dc had very specific needs. I searched for the cheapest places to get what they needed, but that still added up. And I did use the library too.

 

Sports. My dc do extracurriculars whether home or in ps. Ps activity fees are cheaper than local rec leagues and exponentially cheaper than club sports. Ps music costs are cheaper as well.

 

My dc have food and allergy issues. I always make lunch.

 

If I stay home, volunteer a lot to fill my time, but do nothing for pay ps is still cheaper for my family.

 

However, finances were not a driving force in the consideration to homeschool. Other things my dc needed were.

 

I had four teen girls in ps at one time, we spent a LOT more on clothes. None of the girls had a lot of clothing. They just needed nicer clothing than they could wear being at home.

 

This is a summary of what we bought: In the fall each girl got five new pairs of pants, five long sleeve shirts, five short sleeve shirts, three sweaters (not the jacket type), one light jacket, one winter coat, one new pair of sneakers, one new pair of shoes, and various assorted stuff like hats, mittens, scarves, winter boots, socks, underwear, ect. And a new backpack. This is the minimum we had to get to keep each girl's laundry day to once a week. I certainly wasn't going to do their laundry, we were a family of twelve and I worked full time and I had enough to do, thank you.

 

After a year, usually the stuff from last year did not fit or was not suitable for school. The social climate at this ps was so horrible that it was important to the girls not to stand out by wearing 'dumb' clothes, as an extreme they actually risked being beaten up. Even at discount store prices it cost a lot more than just replacing outgrown clothes at the thrift shop. We spent about $500 per kid just on clothes and shoes, and that was actually amazing since most parents we knew spent a lot more. Now I don't spend anywhere near that amount per year on any kid's clothing, there is no need.

[Mabelen]

It looks as if it is the main issue in the original thread was whether going back to work was worth it financially or not. The cost of work vs staying home seems to be the crux of the matter rather than public school vs. homeschool in that particular case.

 

For someone who is staying home regardless of schooling choice, I would think public school can definitely be cheaper.

 

In my case, I only afterschool and my kids go to public school. My district does not have outrageous supply lists or field trip fees; my younger one walks to school and we carpool my oldest with a neighbor to a school that is only 2 miles away. In terms of clothing we don't do anything different whether they are in school or not, so that is not an issue. As far as food cost is concerned, again, there is virtually no difference as they pack a lunch most of the time. I don't think we would change much outside activities either, so that cost would stay roughly the same too. The only difference would be curricula. Although I do afterschool different things, including Spanish for heritage speakers, I would certainly spend much more on curricula if I were homeschooling.

 

So cost for me at the moment would definitely not be a deciding factor in choosing homeschooling over public school.

Edited August 24, 2011 by Mabelen

[TheAutumnOak]

Here's what I don't understand. No one asked about going back to work

 

What about a straight comparison of public school costs vs. homeschool costs and nothing the mom does changes (she stays at home while her kids were at school).

 

I have paid upwards of $500+ a year for homeschool curriculum. IEW class was typically $300 and art class is about $200. But, even taking out IEW and art, homeschool was more expensive

 

You don't HAVE to buy nicer clothes - you choose to. Your kids don't HAVE to eat school lunches - you allow them to. My kid says he doesn't like x, y, z - he packs his lunch. You don't have to DRIVE your child to the bus stop - you choose to. You are choosing to make arguments that would make public school more expensive.

 

My public school supplies were about $75. No additional fees. I don't participate in the fundraiser - as that is my choice and I tell the principal each year why. My child will walk to the bus stop and walk home. I may have to go get him once in a while, but that is much less than the driving I do to art, writing, PE co-op and other things that I do in homeschool to make sure my child gets social interaction with other kids. He gets that in public school for free.

 

If you did a line by line, balance sheet comparison of public vs homeschooling, there are very few cases that I believe homeschooling is cheaper. If you already own your curriculum for all of your kids, I can see that being the case, but if you are buying curriculum for a child each year, even on the cheap, its going to be more than $75 (in my example)

 

:iagree:

[TheAutumnOak]

And in this original post, the OP is also not taking into consideration having to pay child care, even when working part time.

 

 

Most people I know who work part time don't pay childcare...They either work while their husbands are home or don't have a regular 9-5...I know people who run small farms that sell stuff, make jewelry, and also who work from home using their computers...Even if you did need childcare, your salary should be enough to pay for it and still profit or you would choose to just stay home...There are plenty of people who stay home and their kids go to ps...

 

Either way, I still think it costs most people more to homeschool...We do it not because it is cheaper, but for other reasons...It can be less expensive in other ways that are not financial...

[bettyandbob]

This is a summary of what we bought: In the fall each girl got five new pairs of pants, five long sleeve shirts, five short sleeve shirts, three sweaters (not the jacket type), one light jacket, one winter coat, one new pair of sneakers, one new pair of shoes, and various assorted stuff like hats, mittens, scarves, winter boots, socks, underwear, ect. And a new backpack. This is the minimum we had to get to keep each girl's laundry day to once a week. I certainly wasn't going to do their laundry, we were a family of twelve and I worked full time and I had enough to do, thank you.

 

 

WOW. I live in a fairly affluent suburb. There is definitely a mix of bullies and mean girls at the local middle school (this is the reason my oldest with social skills issues did not attend). My dd went through a growth spurt last year and needed several pairs of pants. She says she needs nothing new this year. She's never had a new winter coat. She has an older brother and has always worn his outgrown outerwear. Recently one neighbor passed a powder blue ski jacket to her and another passed a wool dress coat to her. For the first time she has something besides a black or dark green winter coat that her brother chose. Despite the hand me downs, apparel that is worn, dd has friends and has not felt ridiculed for her clothing choices. And like I said she has money (a fair amount) from pet sitting, she can ask me to drive her to the store to shop, if she felt her clothing situation had to change.

 

Besides the neighbor hand me downs, I've always purchased high quality outerwear for my oldest, so that it gets passed down through the other kids. Last year I told my oldest I have purchased the last winter coat I will buy for him. He's 16, he's full size. Dh got the last hand me down from oldest--it's too big for dd to ever grow into. In a couple of years I expect to purchase the first and last new coat for dd.

 

Oldest is not getting new clothing this year. I will get some slacks for youngest (3-4 pair) in a few weeks and a pair of sneakers. Youngest has a different body shape--besides outerwear he typically does not have pants from oldest that fit, so he will get new. That is all the clothing I am buying. They may get something new for Christmas or birthday, but really that's it.

 

Backpacks. My kids have LLBean packs. They last forever and if they don' t LLBean replaces them. Youngest has been using one my oldest had. I think that pack is over 10 years old. It's a small pack. He may a need a bigger one for middle school in a few years. I expect oldest and dd to have their packs through college. I will ask for a replacement if they don't, lifetime warranty.

 

Kids do not needs to wear new clothes to get along in ps. It is a choice. I remove stained or ripped clothing from their closets and replace those pieces if needed. But clothing showing a little wear can be worn to school and neither of my teens have complained that this is an issue.

 

My teens are supposed to do their own laundry. Sometimes if their stuff is in the laundry room when I'm there I will do it. However, it is really up to them. I don't worry about it if something hasn't been washed. Perhaps that means wearing a short sleeve shirt to school and dirty jeans on a winter day. Lesson learned--your laundry, your responsibility.

[Joyofsixreboot]

For us it costs more for my kids in PS. We are 20 miles from the school so any after school projects ( let alone club or sport) requires driving. Book rental is about $150/ year. They pack their lunch. I probably have to spend $50/year on school projects. Material, mirrors, outfits when they are required to dress as a character. Yes, those are real assignments and you are singed if you don't go all out. That would be why the last 4 won't be going to PS. I scavenge and garage sale to get curriculum.

[LizzyBee]

For us, public school is definitely cheaper than homeschooling.

 

Both of my ps'ers are still wearing their uniforms from last year, so no new school clothes this year.

 

When they were homeschooled and ate at home, they usually ate leftovers. They take leftovers for their school lunches most days (most of the classrooms have microwaves). They buy pizza on Fridays - $2 each.

 

My gifted art student pays a $20 supply fee each year for ps. Do you know how expensive decent art lessons are? We save a ton of money right there.

 

My theater student pays no fees. I looked into theater and acting classes around here. They're expensive and not close to home.

 

Our most expensive school supply this year was my senior's TI-89 - $140. The last year she was homeschooled, I paid more than that for curriculum and supplies for her science class. Lab sciences are expensive!

 

My kids' school does not allow fundraising. I love that rule! OTOH, the homeschool sports league does do fundraising, in addition to a hefty participation fee.

 

We pay for an occasional field trip, but the cost is usually discounted from what we'd pay if we went as a family. For ex, they both went to see The Lion King this year for $50/each. It would have cost $80/each without the school discount. None of the other field trips have been near that expensive - they're usually about $10 once or twice a year.

[Tarreymere]

 

 

 

WOW. I live in a fairly affluent suburb. There is definitely a mix of bullies and mean girls at the local middle school (this is the reason my oldest with social skills issues did not attend). My dd went through a growth spurt last year and needed several pairs of pants. She says she needs nothing new this year. She's never had a new winter coat. She has an older brother and has always worn his outgrown outerwear. Recently one neighbor passed a powder blue ski jacket to her and another passed a wool dress coat to her. For the first time she has something besides a black or dark green winter coat that her brother chose. Despite the hand me downs, apparel that is worn, dd has friends and has not felt ridiculed for her clothing choices. And like I said she has money (a fair amount) from pet sitting, she can ask me to drive her to the store to shop, if she felt her clothing situation had to change.

 

Besides the neighbor hand me downs, I've always purchased high quality outerwear for my oldest, so that it gets passed down through the other kids. Last year I told my oldest I have purchased the last winter coat I will buy for him. He's 16, he's full size. Dh got the last hand me down from oldest--it's too big for dd to ever grow into. In a couple of years I expect to purchase the first and last new coat for dd.

 

Oldest is not getting new clothing this year. I will get some slacks for youngest (3-4 pair) in a few weeks and a pair of sneakers. Youngest has a different body shape--besides outerwear he typically does not have pants from oldest that fit, so he will get new. That is all the clothing I am buying. They may get something new for Christmas or birthday, but really that's it.

 

Backpacks. My kids have LLBean packs. They last forever and if they don' t LLBean replaces them. Youngest has been using one my oldest had. I think that pack is over 10 years old. It's a small pack. He may a need a bigger one for middle school in a few years. I expect oldest and dd to have their packs through college. I will ask for a replacement if they don't, lifetime warranty.

 

Kids do not needs to wear new clothes to get along in ps. It is a choice. I remove stained or ripped clothing from their closets and replace those pieces if needed. But clothing showing a little wear can be worn to school and neither of my teens have complained that this is an issue.

 

My teens are supposed to do their own laundry. Sometimes if their stuff is in the laundry room when I'm there I will do it. However, it is really up to them. I don't worry about it if something hasn't been washed. Perhaps that means wearing a short sleeve shirt to school and dirty jeans on a winter day. Lesson learned--your laundry, your responsibility.

 

Honestly I feel sorry for your daughter, $500 a year for new clothes for a kid is really not alot of money except for people like us who live on a tight budget. Normal middle class people spend at least that per year on their kid's clothing. If you have the means to do better for her then it is sad you don't make the effort. Usually people want their kids to have something nice to wear to school just because, but for teen girls it can be a really big social issue. I bet your daughter has had to endure some teasing and ridicule but feels too bad to tell you about it. The negative peer pressure and intense pressure to conform are not just found in some schools here and there, it is nearly universal. I imagine your opinion would change if you had more than one of your daughters assaulted by girls who targeted her for wearing the 'wrong' kind of sneakers or store brand jeans. And even if my girls did not become targets because of their clothes, I would still make sure they had something nice and new to start school in if they were still young and in ps. I also would not allow any of my kids to go anywhere in stained or dirty clothing, so we do not agree on that either.

[bettyandbob]

Honestly I feel sorry for your daughter, $500 a year for new clothes for a kid is really not alot of money except for people like us who live on a tight budget. Normal middle class people spend at least that per year on their kid's clothing. If you have the means to do better for her then it is sad you don't make the effort. Usually people want their kids to have something nice to wear to school just because, but for teen girls it can be a really big social issue. I bet your daughter has had to endure some teasing and ridicule but feels too bad to tell you about it. The negative peer pressure and intense pressure to conform are not just found in some schools here and there, it is nearly universal. I imagine your opinion would change if you had more than one of your daughters assaulted by girls who targeted her for wearing the 'wrong' kind of sneakers or store brand jeans. And even if my girls did not become targets because of their clothes, I would still make sure they had something nice and new to start school in if they were still young and in ps. I also would not allow any of my kids to go anywhere in stained or dirty clothing, so we do not agree on that either.

 

 

It's a social issue if you make it one. Dd has never said she was without the "right" clothing. She is not without friends or invitations -- she has a Bat Mitzvah to attend this weekend (we did buy a dress for that and I do know how to dress for such an event). I picked her up from cheerleading practice (local rec league since she's in 8th) and she was chatting with the other girls. She is not shunned. It's my ds who has missed on laundry, but he doesn't now. dd is more organized and learns from her brother's mistakes.

 

Perhaps you should feel sorry for your own daughters based on the fact that their self esteem may be tied to having the newest style. My dd has a good sense of self. Additionally, she earns quite a bit of money and makes all the decisions about managing it herself (last year she added to her shoe collection--she has 8-10 pairs). I think she may need running shoes--she's considering joining a running club and I will purchase good quality running shoes for that. She is not without. But it sounds like your daughters are.

[cathmom]

Haven't read the other replies ;), but - years ago I went out to dinner with a lady who was considering homeschooling. She asked what I spent on curriculum per child, which was about $300-400 per child. She shrugged and said that she easily spent that on things for public school, extra fees and the like. And that was way before this economic crisis! My principal said that many schools now are charging fees for things they used to supply.

[Tarreymere]

 

 

 

It's a social issue if you make it one. Dd has never said she was without the "right" clothing. She is not without friends or invitations -- she has a Bat Mitzvah to attend this weekend (we did buy a dress for that and I do know how to dress for such an event). I picked her up from cheerleading practice (local rec league since she's in 8th) and she was chatting with the other girls. She is not shunned. It's my ds who has missed on laundry, but he doesn't now. dd is more organized and learns from her brother's mistakes.

 

Perhaps you should feel sorry for your own daughters based on the fact that their self esteem may be tied to having the newest style. My dd has a good sense of self. Additionally, she earns quite a bit of money and makes all the decisions about managing it herself (last year she added to her shoe collection--she has 8-10 pairs). I think she may need running shoes--she's considering joining a running club and I will purchase good quality running shoes for that. She is not without. But it sounds like your daughters are.

 

So you admit you DO spend money on your kid's clothing. Your previous post stated you did not buy anything new at all for your daughter this year and that the poor thing never had a new coat, but now you state you did actually buy the kid something, but I am somehow wrong because I came right out and said that I spent $500 per daughter for new clothes for school every year. Now suddenly you DO buy your daughter clothes. She even has a 'shoe collection'. How strange that you denied it originally. I can't help but wonder at your motivation, perhaps you twisted or misrepresented your spending to make your point about how you feel you really spend less by sending your child to ps.

 

No, my daughters never had their self esteem tied to wearing the latest styles, but like anyone else they liked and still like to look nice. I also don't think it is at all appropriate to make a child wear clothing that doesn't fit or is stained or torn. My girls were still kids, even as teens, and they certainly were hard on their clothes. It isn't reasonable to expect growing, active girls to wear the same clothes for several years, the clothes do wear out and get outgrown. It is extremely inappropriate for teen girls to be wearing clothing that has been outgrown. I even think that it is just plain normal to buy your child at least a few new things to wear to school every year, even the single moms in the subsidized housing around here seem to do that and they really don't have any extra money.

 

I have even seen threads on this forum recently about how adult women like to dress nicely on a daily basis, are you making a case that the women who stated on those threads that they like to wear nice clothes have self-esteem issues? I would love to see you start a thread on THAT. Maybe you can help us all out with our terrible issues and sell us on the joys of not caring how we look. I await that thread, too.

 

What I stated I spent on school clothes is perfectly reasonable and well below the national average. My kids grew and changed every year and had to wear something. I did not expect my kids to wear too small or too tight or ill fitting clothing or even stained or torn clothing to school. That is not unreasonable either, and to remedy it one spends money to buy things. I stated what I spent, which again let me repeat so you understand me, is well below the national average and not at all excessive. Maybe you aren't really clear on what you are spending your money on, since it slipped your mind about what you bought earlier.

 

Further, with your comment about sending your son to school in a short sleeved shirt and dirty jeans in the middle of winter, just an FYI that this was the exact scenario that resulted in our getting full custody of my youngest stepson (age 12 at the time), because his mother thought it would 'teach him a lesson' to have to go to school like that, just like you did. Well, his teachers called CPS. When it happened the second time, we were given temporary physical custody then later we got formal full custody. So you may want to give that some more thought, more people pay attention to that kind of thing that you seem to realize.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Rainefox

[Old Dominion Heather]

It isn't cheaper. For our family, anyway. To say homeschooling is cheaper for us is baloney.

 

Yup. Total baloney for us as well. In fact, I could put them all in private classical school and work their as well and it would be cheaper even paying their tuitions.

 

I have to buy clothes and food anyway. They could walk to the bus stop, soooo much cheaper. I was tempted this week more than I ever have been before! My 4th and 1st grader could even ride their bikes to school. The middle schooler could too, come to think of it! Middle schoolers wear uniforms, so no major costs there; pants and black polos. We don't do brand names, so that is not an issue.

[Audrey]

I do not think homeschooling is cheaper. Yes, money may be saved on clothes and lunches, but that amount is insignificant in relation to the total costs.

 

As an aside, but not unrelated, I find it bizarre to read posts that say that their public schools charge fees for classes, book rentals, and graduation. This was not reality when I was in school -- but then, neither was $150 graphing calculators, as they actually taught math when I was in school instead of relying on a mini computer to do it for them -- but I digress.

 

Where I live, there are no mandatory fees for books and supplies and labs and courses. I know the high school does block kids from taking upper level math if they can't afford the f-word graphing calculator -- which I think is outRAGEous!!! Teach math already!! -- but I digress again.

 

At any rate, the bottom line is that I know the cost of homeschooling, even when I am being very frugal, is far more than sending ds to the local public school.

[Peela]

I put my son in public highschool for 6 months- even with buying both summer and winter uniforms, school fees, books etc, it was cheaper than homeschooling.

[Skadi]

To make a real comparison, you need to look at what public schools spend on their students. That's about $9,000 per student, per year (that's underestimating it, because as far as I know to get that number they exclude expenditures like infrastructure, but let's ignore that for now).

 

I would be very surprised if the average cost of homeschooling a student is anywhere near that. $50 per week in music lessons plus $50 per week for a foreign language tutor would be $5000. Community college classes are usually $300 - $500 per class, so high schoolers could take four classes per year for around $1600 (let's add another $200 for used or rented books). A year long laboratory chemistry or biology class offered by the local Science Center is $200. It's difficult for me to estimate how much regular homeschooling curricula would cost, because it really varies so wildly depending on if it's boxed or what have you. I think $500 is a good average amount, considering in this scenario the parent is already outsourcing a bunch of stuff. That brings our grand total up to $7,500.

 

So even in this situation, where every year the parents splurge for 12 credit hours at a local college, two private tutors, a year long laboratory science course from a local museum or science center, and the books and curricula associated with your average homeschooling curriculum...public schools are still spending upwards of 20% more per student, with very little to show for it. This is ignoring the extra costs associated with sending a child to public school, and again, there are many aspects of the public school budget (federal funding, grants, infrastructure, etc.) that do not get included in that $9k figure.

 

I know that homeschooling parents have to pay taxes for public school regardless (just like childless couples do). But I'm talking about student-to-cost ratio. Bang for your buck. Imagine what homeschoolers could do if they were given a voucher system of only a third of the budget for public schools. It's definitely a way to put in perspective just how much homeschoolers are able to do with less money than institutional schools.

 

EDIT: According to my copy of Digest of Education Statistics, private schools have a national average cost of $3,116 per year. Just adding that as another comparison for its own sake.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Skadi

[YLVD]

Last year DD went to our local PS for half day kindergarten and took the bus. They didn't ask for any school supplies. The only cost was 2 boxes of cereal for the entire year.

 

My DS went to a charter school 3 years ago. The only major expenses were gas money-no bus service-and uniforms (khakis and polos). He did have a very reasonable supply list which set us back about $30 and then about $10 for field trips. I would say in total I spent $150 on him outside of gas money.

 

I definitely spent more money HSing than sending my kids to either of those schools. And I'm only counting middle of the road curriculum in that figure. My kids did do soccer and took 2 sessions of swim lessons, but I would have done that either way so I don't count that.

 

Similar experience here. My DD will likely be attending high school at a community type public school, a smaller form of a high school. It's a public school and there are no fees and no supply list. Just a notebook and pens and pencils! Homeschooling cost me a LOT more.

[YLVD]

When my kids had supply lists from their teachers, we had very specific brand names and quantities we were required to buy. I've posted before how ds1's K teacher wanted 2 packs of Polaroid film from each kid at $16.00 a pop. Ds2's K teacher wanted 24 packs of Crayola crayons, 16 pack of Crayola twistable crayons, 16 pack of Crayola twistable colored pencils, and 10 pack Crayola markers, in addition to about 30 other items. HAD to be Fiskars scissors, etc. THEN, you weren't allowed to label anything, because all the supplies were communal. You couldn't keep anything for the next year, because the kids didn't have their OWN supplies.

 

I have to say that I've never come across this and my DD attended public school for 8 years.

[desertmum]

Similar experience here. My DD will likely be attending high school at a community type public school, a smaller form of a high school. It's a public school and there are no fees and no supply list. Just a notebook and pens and pencils! Homeschooling cost me a LOT more.

 

I have to say that I've never come across this and my DD attended public school for 8 years.

 

 

:iagree: Yes. Schools force you to buy certain brands which usually cost a tad more.

 

I recently went to a uniform supply shop. I was looking for PE short. Ds is tall but very thin and the clothes at the local shops always fall off him (and if I buy a smaller size ds looks like he is wearing 'hot pants' -ewww). Anyway, the shop attendant asked me what school ds goes to and I said "school A". Well the shorts were really expensive, and green. So I asked for something from "school B" and the attendant gave a suspicious look but obliged me and the shorts were a little less expensive and oddly enough the exactly the same shorts as the green ones but navy blue. I am saddened to think of the poor parents of school A who get stuck buying more expensive shorts. Then I was in the queue to pay for the shorts and this lady in front of me had a whole kit for a boy and the total was about $200. She saw the look of shock on my face and said: "I still have to get shoes."

 

Of course I've spent more money doing hs but ds can wear old tops around the house and I don't have to worry about stains and having to buy new uniforms at inflated prices.

[sewingmama]

I put my son in public highschool for 6 months- even with buying both summer and winter uniforms, school fees, books etc, it was cheaper than homeschooling.

 

:iagree:

 

My DD went to public pre-k last year and it cost $60 a term or $240 for the whole year. I didn't buy her special clothes -they were encouraged to wear their "grubbies" so they didn't have to be worried about getting dirty.

I supplied her "snack" she was only there 3 hours so it was just something small.

 

They only did 2 fundraisers the whole year -one was Easter buns and you didn't have to sell them -you just ordered them through the school if you wanted some and the second was a family photograph day where you paid $15 to the school and got a picture taken of your whole family by a professional photographer and the photo was very nice and large and came with a free frame - totally worth it.

 

My DD is only in K and I have already spent about $300 on her curriculum AND that is just for reading, language, handwriting and art - we are using MEP for math which is free. Homeschooling books cost double in Australia - all books here are super expensive and it is rare to find anything secondhand. Add to that my DD is a crazy crafter and I spend $$$$ buying her craft/art supplies. All of that was free at her pre-K.

 

I guess I could make do with just a library card (although our libraries are pretty useless) and forgo the art supplies - but for me that would defeat the purpose of homeschooling. I want to give my DD an enriching experience -not a barebones essentials only education. If I can't do that I would prefer to send her to PS.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have to say that I've never come across this and my DD attended public school for 8 years.

 

 

Here is the website with the supply lists for each grade at my local school district. There is also a page listing the fees. In addition to these standard lists that apply to everyone in that grade, the individual teachers have their own lists which they pass out on orientation night. I can't remember what they threatened you with if you didn't bring the supplies and the check for the fees, but it was something or other that your child was not allowed to do.

[Haiku]

I have a child who has been in school for five years. Homeschooling has NEVER been cheaper. She's a junior in high school now. Public school is still cheaper.

 

Tara

[bettyandbob]

So you admit you DO spend money on your kid's clothing. Your previous post stated you did not buy anything new at all for your daughter this year and that the poor thing never had a new coat, but now you state you did actually buy the kid something, but I am somehow wrong because I came right out and said that I spent $500 per daughter for new clothes for school every year. Now suddenly you DO buy your daughter clothes. She even has a 'shoe collection'. How strange that you denied it originally. I can't help but wonder at your motivation, perhaps you twisted or misrepresented your spending to make your point about how you feel you really spend less by sending your child to ps.

 

 

 

 

 

No misrepresentation.

 

I am not buying new school clothes this fall for dd or older ds. I said that in my first post. The dress is not for a school event. The running shoes are for an extra curricular she would do if homeschooling. She will not be wearing the running shoes to school (you don't wear running shoes to knock around in until they are no good for running) My dd's shoe collection is her purchase FROM HER MONEY not mine--my post said that. I'm sorry if you don't like my interpretation, buy your post suggests to me that your dds don't have the sense of what's a want and what's a need and don't have the responsibility to take care of their wants (my dd has been earning money from pet sitting since she was 9 and takes care of her wants very nicely). I buy what she needs. I bought one dress this summer for the Bat Mitzvah she is attending (which she is unlikely to ever want to wear to school), she doesn't like dresses and wears slacks to church so she needed a dress.

 

I never said I didn't spend on clothes. I'm not spending this year on school clothes. And I've never had 500 dollar per year per kid year.

 

My kids haven't asked me to spend. And we've assessed what fits and what is not wearable in their closets, not wearable being stained or ripped.

 

My dc have an assortment of jeans, slacks and shirts that fit, some discount store, some hand me down and nothing new this year. They have high quality outer wear and backpacks which may be hand me downs. They have enough clothing that they don't wear the same stuff every week if they don't want to. And they do their own laundry--no blaming mom if something is not ready. They certainly have what they need.

 

There's a big difference between wants and needs. Just because we go to public school, we don't have to fall into some consumerism trap about what we need.

 

You are making a choice that you need to spend 500 per child each year. You are making a choice to buy new backpacks each year (you said you did). You are making a choice to do their laundry for them. These are choices. They are not necessities of attending school. I stand by my original post, which said I don't spend more than I did on clothing, than I did when I homeschooled.

[KarenNC]

To make a real comparison, you need to look at what public schools spend on their students. That's about $9,000 per student, per year (that's underestimating it, because as far as I know to get that number they exclude expenditures like infrastructure, but let's ignore that for now).

 

However, that $9000 average is not an out of pocket expense to the individual public school parent. It is an aggregate expense borne by all taxpayers in that community, including homeschoolers, people whose children are grown, those who've never had children, etc, so it's still apples to oranges. This discussion has been not about "bang for your buck" but the costs borne by individual families based on school choice. Instead of the $9000 per student, you need to compare the portion of that $9000 the average individual public school parent pays through taxes (and other basic associated fees/requirements) with the costs of all other things to the homeschooler plus that amount of taxes (or leave that portion of the cost out of the discussion entirely).

 

Leaving aside issues related to working (which I agree is a separate question that only applies if the parent is indeed planning to return or go to work), you would have to compare costs for families with the same number of children in the same grades in the same school attendance district who participate in similar activities, with similar income levels (to take things like free lunch/financial assistance to activities vs. full-pay out of the equation) and have similar sizes of affected tax bills (property taxes are one major source of school funding) to make a real comparison. Communities vary in whether they provide access to school activities for homeschoolers, partial enrollment options, tuition support, availability of vritual charter or state-funded virtual classes (since many consider that to be "homeschooling" as well for the purposes of discussion), free access to resources like Discovery Streaming, requirements for testing/registration/oversight, etc. Local districts will vary in the amount of taxes going to support public schools and opportunities offered at the public schools. Costs associated with kindergarten are going to be vastly different than those for high school regardless of schooling choice. If you want to include private schools, it needs to include only private schools to which those families have access, not a national average, and look at whether they would receive financial aid to attend. A quick look at ones in our immediate area showed a range from $3500 to $21,200/year.

 

Public school family: portion of family's taxes that support the local school system, any required fees charged to the families (activity fee, book fee, athletic fee if the child participates, music fee if the child participates, test fees, field trips--though our system cut those out last year, required school supplies if applicable, uniforms if applicable, specialized school supplies).

 

Homeschool family: portion of family's taxes that support the local school system, curriculum, music fees if the child participates only in a program similar to what would otherwise be provided at school, athletic fees if the child participates only in a sport that would otherwise be provided at the school, fees for any required umbrella school/association if required in your state, class fees for classes that would otherwise be provided at the school, specialized school supplies for participation in a class that would otherwise be provided by the school, test fees that would otherwise be covered by the school (don't some schools pay for AP tests? not sure).

 

I have left out things like sports not available at the school as that is always a separate expense. The public school is unlikely to have martial arts, individual music lessons, pilot's licenses, horseback riding or other specialized programs available, though a homeschooler or public schooler may choose to participate in such activities. Likewise, food (the kid has to eat and it doesn't have to be either school lunch or Lunchable) and "nicer" clothes don't factor in to me. I don't dress my child like a homeless person just because we homeschool. All of these things are choices that might be made by either family. Required uniforms are a different matter.

 

If kids are being beaten up, whether for not wearing the right brand name or some other reason, the police need to be called and assault charges filed.

Edited August 25, 2011 by KarenNC

[SailorMom]

Oh yes- we've been paying our very high property taxes for years. That $9000 is what we pay, but I'm pretty sure it all doesn't actually go to the kids - more likely the lion's share goes to the six-figure administrators who don't really do all that much,,,,,

Homeschoolers do still pay the tax, and the tax doesn't go straight to the student.... so I agree that isn't the best comparison to make.

That said - the schools do have to spend more per kid than a homeschooler - if you factor in busses, the actual school building, landscaping, maintenance, teachers' salaries, insurance, etc.

but - then again - we all have to pay for our homes, etc.... so - not sure there is a black and white dividing line.

[PeacefulChaos]

I don't get why kids get new clothes for school. I mean, sure, if they have to wear uniforms and their older ones don't fit... but if they already have clothes, why buy them new ones just because school is starting?? My two ds need jeans, but I didn't run out to buy them before 'school starts'. I'm waiting til the end of Sept or so.

I guess, even when I sent my kids to ps, I didn't go 'back to school' shopping for clothes, anyway. They got clothes if/when they needed them. Period.

[TheAutumnOak]

To make a real comparison, you need to look at what public schools spend on their students. That's about $9,000 per student, per year (that's underestimating it, because as far as I know to get that number they exclude expenditures like infrastructure, but let's ignore that for now).

 

I would be very surprised if the average cost of homeschooling a student is anywhere near that.

 

However, that $9000 average is not an out of pocket expense to the individual public school parent. It is an aggregate expense borne by all taxpayers in that community, including homeschoolers, people whose children are grown, those who've never had children, etc, so it's still apples to oranges. This discussion has been not about "bang for your buck" but the costs borne by individual families based on school choice.

 

:iagree: I agree with Karen in bold on this one...

[Joyofsixreboot]

I'm sure some of this depends on your state and school system within the state. We are in a financially strapped rural school system. Some systems (not ours) are charging for kindergarten or bus priviledges. $500 to ride a bus every day is quite an expense. Our high school seems to be project crazy. If the kids don't come up with some pretty elaborate projects their grade will suffer. That costs supplies and the gas to get them since Walmart is the closest store and it's 20 miles away. We also have to pay book rental which is about $150 per kid for books you don't even get to keep. They cannot wear ripped or torn clothing. At home, who cares. Every situation will vary. I only buy used or use free curriculum and our supplies at home are pretty much a pencil and paper. No games or trips, etc. That keeps our costs low.

[YLVD]

Here is the website with the supply lists for each grade at my local school district. There is also a page listing the fees. In addition to these standard lists that apply to everyone in that grade, the individual teachers have their own lists which they pass out on orientation night. I can't remember what they threatened you with if you didn't bring the supplies and the check for the fees, but it was something or other that your child was not allowed to do.

 

Yeah, it must be a regional thing.

 

I'm in an area with great, well-funded schools. My DD went to a Montessori public school during elementary. They even had a huge salad bar, etc.

 

My DD went to public middle school and the afterschool activities, art classes, etc ..were all free! There is no fundraising here. It's a pricey area and is funded that way. I suppose it just depends.

[elegantlion]

I don't get why kids get new clothes for school. I mean, sure, if they have to wear uniforms and their older ones don't fit... but if they already have clothes, why buy them new ones just because school is starting?? My two ds need jeans, but I didn't run out to buy them before 'school starts'. I'm waiting til the end of Sept or so.

I guess, even when I sent my kids to ps, I didn't go 'back to school' shopping for clothes, anyway. They got clothes if/when they needed them. Period.

 

My ds would go through more clothes, that's for sure. He never wears shoes at home, he puts on shirt for school about December. He outgrows clothes before he wears them out right now. So while we probably wouldn't cram all of our back-to-school shopping in August, he'd have to own more clothes for school.

 

Plus at this age, you can't buy ahead as much. His growth spurts are erratic. He didn't grow all summer, but has grown almost 3/4" in the last month.

[Guest Pearls123]

I have kids at private school as well as home. If you ignore tuition, HS is still cheaper. The cost of my groceries actually went down as I didnt have to buy all the prepackaged, convenient foods or the Ziploc baggies and such to separate out myself. I dont have to load them up at lunch and "hope" they eat it all and then feed them again when they get home because they are ravenous. They eat when hungry at home and do not waste food.

 

I am not buying supplies at the most expensive time of the year, school pictures, field trips, tshirts, concession at activities, extra curricular costs, fund raisers, donations, birthday parties, teacher gifts for every holiday and then dont forget about the enrichment teachers, clothes, gas, school lunches if they buy one, extra milk almost every day.... My list could go on.

 

I felt like my allowance got a raise when we brought some of the kids home.

 

Even picking out expensive curriculum doesnt tip the balance.... Home is cheaper for us.

[Mrs Twain]

I spend more to homeschool, but I was very surprised about how much it cost to send my kids to public school.

 

The required school supplies cost about $40 per child if I was being frugal and shopping around for the good deals.

 

The other costs were what really added up:

 

Money for teachers' gifts from the class (Christmas, birthdays, end of the year)--besides the extra gifts that you feel obligated to give in addition, money for class parties, field trip costs, your child has been taken to the bookfair (twice per year) and has made a list of books he/she wants to buy, "Please send in a white t-shirt for field day next week," class and individual pictures two or three times per year, money to participate in the fundraisers for various good causes, the PTA fundraiser where the child makes a painting and all of the parents are supposed to buy an overpriced object with the picture printed on it (besides all of the other PTA fundraisers), contribute to the class project that will be auctioned off at the big spring PTA fundraiser, buy tickets to the big PTA fundraiser which your child is very excited to attend thanks to all of the promotion during class time, buy raffle tickets to the big PTA Spring fundraiser, school t-shirts which everyone else is buying, extra classroom supplies midway and at the end of the year since the teacher is running low...

 

I tried to say no to a lot of these things or contribute as little as possible, but I still ended up spending about $300 per child. Yes, I spend more to homeschoool, but it is not that much more.

[Deb in NZ]

HS/ing is a lot cheaper here in NZ. HS/ing families get a small supervisory allowance twice a year from the government. If I budgeted well, I could get all the HS/ing curriculum needs & extras (even factoring in the outrageous cost of postage from the States.)

 

Ds#2 went to PS for highschool in February. Just to get him in the door the first day it cost us $$$.

Uniforms = $400+ (mostly 2nd hand, no real choice of shopping around as students are only allowed to wear regulation uniforms, including socks, jackets, hats, etc.)

Stationary = $100+

Course fees = $75 so far

School donation (manditory) = $120

Whanau photo = $15

Music lessons = $5 (this is the only area that is cheaper in PS)

Work day fund-raising = $20

 

That adds up to over $700. When I factor in the $500+ spent on participating on the sailing team & the $700+ playing hockey for the school, sending ds#2 to PS this year will cost us over $2k & we don't get the $750 HS/ing allowance, making the real cost difference closer to $3k.

 

I am not even taking into consideration the extra grocery costs to have things on hand for ds#2's school lunches. When HS/ing we had cooked lunches at home that did not cost anywhere as much as it costs to prepare a lunch box.

 

:001_huh: This is really scary when I have all the costs laid out clearly. Dd's 2nd year of her degree is only costing her about double what it's costing us to send ds#2 to his first year of high school at the local public school. The local Catholic school is $1000+ & the one private highschool in our area is over $10k in tuition alone.

 

For us HS/ing is much, much cheaper.

 

Blessings,

Edited August 26, 2011 by Deb in NZ

[keptwoman]

We are the same Deb. Only in Australia HSers don't get paid and our fees and books are much more expensive.

 

Grade 11 Fees $2000, books $700 (we have to buy textbooks for every subject, even 2nd hand, they are very expensive) uniform $600 and that was with substantial 2nd hand items, so just school is $3300 but we also need to pay for the train to get there $500 and a student exchange $500 and probably more I can't think of. HSing is much cheaper!

Gr7 is much the same. Except, due to diffferent school the fees are likely to be halved, but we will need to pay for camp.

Gr 2, fees $400? Still waiting for the bill. Uniform $200 books $200 constant demands for money for this nd that $300 Total $900/year plus uniform, yep HSing is cheaper.

[KarenNC]

Wow! Are these fees typical across the country? Are there government programs to assist families who cannot pay or are there other alternatives, something like our virtual charters where the school is still provided by the government, but remotely via computer, and you can avoid some of the fees?

 

I'm surprised folks aren't homeschooling in droves there (or are they and we just don't see it represented here?), particularly if they get a government stipend to support it. Our state has zero government support (in terms of stipends or access to public school facilities or programs at all), no virtual charter (that's legally public schooling around here, though many refer to it as homeschooling, as we've seen---states may have hybrid programs), no tax breaks and a requirement to test yearly at our own expense. Last year, at least 5.1% of the school age population in our state were in homeschools (though I think the number is actually substantially higher---reporting requirements are fairly minimal here). That's almost the equivalent of those in conventional private schools (5.8%).

 

Also, I seem to vaguely remember a conversation, perhaps with Rosie, a couple of years ago about school funding in Australia and that religious schools get some level of government funding there which helps with costs. Is that correct? That's a different concept for me, since religious schools don't get government support here (other than being able to be tax-exempt)

[keptwoman]

My 17yo is in a select entry school. I don't know what the US equivalent of that is, but if you wiki it, it will explain. It's a public school that behaves like a private school and the fees are double that of pretty much any other public high school. Its a very good school though and I do not begrudge the fees at all. So the fees for him are not representative, in my (limited) experience school fees are around $1000 for high school and $200-400 for primary.

 

The book costs I have given are very representative, and IMHO are completely nuts. NZ schools loan the textbooks to kids who pay if they don't give them back at year end. Aussie textbook manufacturers must LOVE the system here! Each subject needs a textbooks, and new costs range from $60-80 per item.

 

No, there are no charter schools or anything. It does pay to remember though that we do not support our schools through property tax, the central and state govts fund schools. So our property taxes are much lower than yours in general. And when kids get to higher education, it's substantially cheaper. I am looking at a diploma in photography and it will cost me $200/year. If my son does an engineering degree, it will cost us $6000 a year, at a good school. The government subsidises higher education quite heavily, how much depends on how much the qualification is seen as needed in the economy.

 

And yes, the govt provides per student funding to private schools, which includes but is not restricted to religious schools. I don't know how much though. in my area, at high school level, a Catholic school will cost $6-10,000/year. A non catholic private school would cost $15-30,000 a year, that's just fees and textbooks etc are all on top.

[Muffin]

I spent a total of $1,500 on curricula for my two kids last year.

 

My older one is attending a ps for high school where EVERY parent is expected to pay $1,250 minimum per student, $350 for sports (+$200 for each additional sport).

 

It's a very large school and they raised $1.2 million last year through donations and fund raisers. Additional fees are about $200/year. With this money they pay for some teachers' and counselors' salaries, a librarian, etc.. that would not be funded without donations.

 

While, of course, ps should be "free," dh and I decided we're still getting by cheaply compared to private school.:001_smile:

[KarenNC]

My 17yo is in a select entry school. I don't know what the US equivalent of that is, but if you wiki it, it will explain. It's a public school that behaves like a private school and the fees are double that of pretty much any other public high school. Its a very good school though and I do not begrudge the fees at all. So the fees for him are not representative, in my (limited) experience school fees are around $1000 for high school and $200-400 for primary.

 

The book costs I have given are very representative, and IMHO are completely nuts. NZ schools loan the textbooks to kids who pay if they don't give them back at year end. Aussie textbook manufacturers must LOVE the system here! Each subject needs a textbooks, and new costs range from $60-80 per item.

 

No, there are no charter schools or anything. It does pay to remember though that we do not support our schools through property tax, the central and state govts fund schools. So our property taxes are much lower than yours in general. And when kids get to higher education, it's substantially cheaper. I am looking at a diploma in photography and it will cost me $200/year. If my son does an engineering degree, it will cost us $6000 a year, at a good school. The government subsidises higher education quite heavily, how much depends on how much the qualification is seen as needed in the economy.

 

And yes, the govt provides per student funding to private schools, which includes but is not restricted to religious schools. I don't know how much though. in my area, at high school level, a Catholic school will cost $6-10,000/year. A non catholic private school would cost $15-30,000 a year, that's just fees and textbooks etc are all on top.

 

The Catholic high school here is $8-11,000, though I don't know if that range is parishioner/non-parishioner rate or different grades. I believe you can get a religious private school for under $5000 if it's heavily subsidized by the church, a non-religious one is up to the 20's.

 

Our local public university's tution (what I would consider a mid-range one for the state) is $7,000/year for in-state students, $27,000 for out-of-state.

 

The closest I can seem to come for the select schools are our state boarding high schools---one for the arts and one for science and math. They are free (room, board, tuition) for qualifying high school students (and very competitive, as you might imagine). I don't know if other states have similar programs. The local school system has some magnet programs with specific entry requirements, but I don't know the fee structure.

 

It does occur to me that senior year at a public high school brings a raft of unusual expenses: prom, graduation gown, graduation invitations, class ring, senior pictures, etc. Some of those sorts of things are also available to homeschoolers through private providers, if desired, but are pretty much expected from public high school students.

[mommymilkies]

Honestly I feel sorry for your daughter, $500 a year for new clothes for a kid is really not alot of money except for people like us who live on a tight budget. Normal middle class people spend at least that per year on their kid's clothing. If you have the means to do better for her then it is sad you don't make the effort. Usually people want their kids to have something nice to wear to school just because, but for teen girls it can be a really big social issue. I bet your daughter has had to endure some teasing and ridicule but feels too bad to tell you about it. The negative peer pressure and intense pressure to conform are not just found in some schools here and there, it is nearly universal. I imagine your opinion would change if you had more than one of your daughters assaulted by girls who targeted her for wearing the 'wrong' kind of sneakers or store brand jeans. And even if my girls did not become targets because of their clothes, I would still make sure they had something nice and new to start school in if they were still young and in ps. I also would not allow any of my kids to go anywhere in stained or dirty clothing, so we do not agree on that either.

 

Really? I just do not get this. I don't know anyone who spends near that! My college-age brother does, but he's a trendy guy and mowed lawns to make the money. I would never drop unnecessary hundreds to keep my kids from getting teased for not being "cool". This makes me glad I homeschool!

[QueenCat]

It does pay to remember though that we do not support our schools through property tax, the central and state govts fund schools. So our property taxes are much lower than yours in general.

 

Just to clarify.... in the U.S., property taxes are only one portion of how our public schools are funded. The state and federal govt contribute funds too. Property taxes can really vary, depending on the state, and even the county within the state.

[Deb in NZ]

Wow! Are these fees typical across the country? Are there government programs to assist families who cannot pay or are there other alternatives, something like our virtual charters where the school is still provided by the government, but remotely via computer, and you can avoid some of the fees?

 

I'm surprised folks aren't homeschooling in droves there (or are they and we just don't see it represented here?), particularly if they get a government stipend to support it. Our state has zero government support (in terms of stipends or access to public school facilities or programs at all), no virtual charter (that's legally public schooling around here, though many refer to it as homeschooling, as we've seen---states may have hybrid programs), no tax breaks and a requirement to test yearly at our own expense. Last year, at least 5.1% of the school age population in our state were in homeschools (though I think the number is actually substantially higher---reporting requirements are fairly minimal here). That's almost the equivalent of those in conventional private schools (5.8%).

 

Also, I seem to vaguely remember a conversation, perhaps with Rosie, a couple of years ago about school funding in Australia and that religious schools get some level of government funding there which helps with costs. Is that correct? That's a different concept for me, since religious schools don't get government support here (other than being able to be tax-exempt)

 

Ds#2 attends the local public (gov't) school we are zoned for. Our schools here in NZ are funded from the central gov't, not property taxes. Teachers are paid by the Ministry of Education, not the school they where they teach. Schools recieve funding based on their decile rating. This is decided by where their students live. Schools in poorer areas (decile 1) recieve significantly more funding, while schools in for well-off areas(decile 10) recieve less gov't funding. The schools that we are zoned for are decile 4. The lower the decile the lower the school donation & course fees, but all highschools, most intermediate schools, & many primary schools have uniforms. Students are free to attend any gov't school they choose, but parents have to provide or pay for transport as gov't school buses are only for the school you where you are zoned. This caused a lot of up roar in our city last year as we have 2 co-ed public highschools, as well as Boy's High & Girl's High. Parents said that the gov't was taking away their freedon to choose the type of highschool they wanted their children to attend by making parents pay for the busses. Most classes have around 30 students / teacher & very little, if any, help is provided for the special needs students (ADHD, Aspergers, etc.) students in mainstreamed classrooms. NZ does have a correspondence school, but if you live within a certain distance to the nearest school bus stop you need to pay to attend. Fees range from $1000-3000+, depending on how old the student is. Young adult students, who have left highschool, are able to take courses from the correspondence school free of charge for age 16-19. Private & religious schools do recieve some funding from the gov't if they meet certain gov't guidelines. Our local Catholic highschool's tuition is ~$1000 & our one private school (Cambridge-based) is ~$10k. Private schools in the bigger cities can cost as much as $20k-30k+ a year.

 

HS/ing is quite common, but last I heard was only about 1-2% of the school-age population. For many it's just easier to send their kids off to the local school. HSers only have to apply for an exemption once & if no one complains to the MoE, they never get checked up on. No annual testing, no annual reports, no checks of any kinds. Twice a years HSers have to sign a paper stating that they continue to homeschool & that they want to recieve the supervisory allowance. There are no strings attached to the allowance. It isn't a lot, but it does help out with curriculum, etc. or what ever the family decides to spend it on. For one child you recieve ~$750/year. When I was HS/ing all 3 dc I recieved ~$1900/year. This about covered any curriculum cost for me (including SL cores, MUS, etc.) Some families decide to use ACE,especailly in the highschool years, as ACE is recognised for uni. ACE costs the same as the allowance we recieve. Other families decide to use the correspondence school after age 16 to get NCEA & UE. We chose to use the local polytech after age 16 for dd & ds#1 as a path to furthur tertiary education. Tertiary education is MUCH cheaper here in NZ than what you pay in the States. Dd pays about $6k-7k a year for tuition & fees. Because of our low income, her living costs are covered by a gov't student allowance (grant) of $200/week. She's allowed to earn up to $200 more / week before her allowance is cut. Bachelor degrees are normally 3 years, so for a BS-Marine Biology she will come out with a student loan of ~$20k, less than one year's tuition in the States. Foreign students pay significantly more in tuition, both in highschools & university, etc. and they are not able to access student allowances. But even with the higher tuition, I think uni is still cheaper here than what you pay in the States.

 

JMHO,

[mommymilkies]

Deb, now I definitely want to move to New Zealand! Are they hiring chemistry teachers? :lol:

[jewellsmommy]

How can homeschooling be cheaper than public school financially?...I read the other thread about the costs, and I still just don't get it...Does it just boil down to curricula choices, because I can't see homeschooling being cheaper than public school, especially if you were going to work even part time while kids are in school...

 

As a homeschooler, I still have to pay for...

- School Supplies

- Food for Lunch

- Books/Curricula

- Some kind of Clothes/Coats/Raingear

- Field Trips

 

I am sure I am missing something...To add to that, some take outside classes (we don't at this point), and that can get expensive...

 

Please don't get me wrong...I love homeschooling and think it is a better option for us for many reasons, but saving money is not one of the reasons...

 

 

I am totally with you! :D I definitely spend more to homeschool than my ps counterparts (that I personally know.) However, I know there are plenty who homeschool on less money. So, I believe it is possible to spend less than ps parents. I just don't think that the average ps parent spends more than the average homeschooler. Especially if the home educator in question spends any time on the curriculum board! :D

[Deb in NZ]

Deb, now I definitely want to move to New Zealand! Are they hiring chemistry teachers? :lol:

 

Science teachers are in high demand. :D

[mommymilkies]

Science teachers are in high demand. :D

 

Sweet! I probably couldn't take my pets, though. :(

[SailorMom]

Really? I just do not get this. I don't know anyone who spends near that! My college-age brother does, but he's a trendy guy and mowed lawns to make the money. I would never drop unnecessary hundreds to keep my kids from getting teased for not being "cool". This makes me glad I homeschool!

 

Neither do we. I spent about $30 on our ps DS for two new t-shirts, a pair of shorts, and some socks. He'll get mroe clothes this winter - probably a few pairs of jeans from WalMart, a hoodie sweatshirt.

He is expensive on shoes - he wears a 12.5 mens. That is one thing I don't go cheap on.

He is considered normal. Not uber-popular, and non un-popular. No one has picked on him, he hasn't seen anyone get picked on for clothes at the middle or high school yet. He has told me that if a girl or boy went to school smelly or covered in stains, then they would probably get picked on - but not just for the type of clothes.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I am not sure there is a way to actually compare the cost.

Homeschooling is a one on one education and the cost reflects what works for the individual child and the family he is in.