spin off: Is your view of the economy affecting your curriculum purchases?

[elegantlion]

If you believe that the economy will get worse before it gets better are you buying future years of curriculum? I know a lot of people stock food, money, and other supplies. Are you stocking curricula?

 

I think I subconsiously do that. I only have one child, but I have purchased several books and textbooks that would do just in case. Granted, most of my items are used, but I still find myself shopping with that mindset.

[Closeacademy]

I'm not stocking up but I am paring down on what I use/buy. I've been looking for more ideas on things to do that don't involve spending money. I've made my own curriculum, found free things online and am going to do more research project/lapbooking/notebooking type of learning where we can incorporate history/science/language arts all in one.

 

We are sticking with buying used: math, Latin and Story of the World. But everything else I am not buying curriculum for.:001_smile:

[Plucky]

I'm almost done with this year's purchases and nothing changed. However, dh & I just had THE TALK about money, gas prices, and activities. Things will be changing around here. I'm pretty frugal already and that's why we can do as much as we do. Not anymore. Now frugal is just a necessity. :(

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We've pretty much always been as frugal as possible in our lives. I don't usually spend much on activities and curr. But, we also have the mindset that we've taken on this job of homeschooling and whenever possible we try to get what we need and some of what we want. I will cut corners in other areas if I have to before I'm able to cut curr. costs. We don't have a library, so that really limits me to what I can cut.

[Parrothead]

I will cut corners in other areas if I have to before I'm able to cut curr. costs. We don't have a library, so that really limits me to what I can cut.

Us too.

[Pretty in Pink]

no, i am not cutting curriculum costs anymore than i normally do, but yes i am finding myself scouting around the used curriculum boards for things i will use in the next few years and picking those up if i find a good deal on them.

 

we would revert to beans and rice if we had to in order to use the curriculums that we really love, but i know in a pinch if the money just wasn't there i could make due with whatever i could come across that was free. i really don't want to go back to making my own curriculum but i could if i had to, kwim?

[Sara R]

We just afterschool, but I'm thinking ahead for curricula that the schools don't cover. I've always bought books ahead at yard sales, and this is just thinking further ahead. Most things I could teach out of the encyclopedia, if I had to. I think I'll look around for high school level math books, and some grammar books.

[TammyinTN]

As I was buying this years items, I went ahead and got all of next years stuff as well. It feels so nice to have two years worth of school materials ready for us. I also didn't have to pay for shipping twice...so that's a savings, right? :D

[Carol in Cal.]

...because I have already bought ahead. So I don't need to. (Hangs head in embarrassment.)

 

I don't go to conferences much, and I don't order often; so when I do either one, I tend to buy things in great big gulps to be done with it. So, for instance, we are working on RS5, and have RS6 already. All of it. And, when I bought LLLOTR this year to use next year and/or the year after, I figured out what other books I wanted to use with it and bought them all at once. I did attend a conference in April and got some extra writing aids of various types and some science books (Tiner) and biographies (always useful), so I'm really pretty done for quite a while. Except for either Science Explorer or Apologia, decisions decisions.

[whisperam]

Only if it is a good deal and I am certain I will use it.

[Sue G in PA]

Not buying ahead (I already did last year!), just using what I have on hand now. Instead of buying more curriculum I"m taking inventory of what I already have and can use and making the most of free stuff. I'm also finding it easier to "let go of" curriculum that we just probably won't use. I'm selling what I can and I'll just have to use that $ to purchase whatever else I might need that I don't already have. I always purchase used whenever possible anyway.

[Quiver0f10]

I have been thinking about this the last few weeks. I have chosen some rather expensive ( to us) curriculum and it will continue to be expensive for then next 4-5 years until I have everything I need for all the levels we have. I was thinking of selling what I have bought and using the money to buy less expensive items until Dh and I get into a better financial situation.

[Trivium Academy]

No, I've already done a lot of things to help us save as much money curricula wise as we can. $500 would get us through the next 3 years for both kids just in curriculum selections. We currently buy all of our to be used again books instead of going to the library so I could even cut that out.

 

My goodness. I better not tell my dh this. Shhh.

[Kelli in TN]

I have been at this for quite a while, so I have a lot of stuff. I won't deliberately buy ahead, but I could make do if I had to with what is already in my house.

[newbie]

The economy definitely affects my purchase. I am having a hard time gulping down the K12 International Academy cost. I just told dh, what is was, he was not happy.

 

Dont know what we will do, that is double or triple what we have been paying. You can save by certain date, but thats right around the corner.

 

Tough decision,

Jeannette