Don't buy another thing and still continue

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

If for some reason you were not able to buy anything else for school, would you still be able to homeschool with what you have on your shelf and the library?

I have been doing massive clearing of shelves as well as adding to them over the last year and am now at a point I feel confident that if for some reason I can not purchase another homeschool item I can still go through with it through high school for both my dc. It might not be the method I prefere (Just started MFW and love it) but if I am met with the challenge I can do it. I have all the Katheryn Stout Guides and a massive home library, plus all the Apologia books (younger student and HS). As for history, I have all the SOTW and MOH except vol 4 (will buy as soon as I can). Math I have all the HS level BJU texts . Our library is excellent. I have been working on filling gaps in our home library so I can be confident we are fully set. Hubby thinks I am silly but one never knows and I do not want to be in a position where we are hurting in the homeschool area because of lack of funds.

 

Am I the only one who has prepared my shelves just in case? Please tell me I am not the only one

[Lucy]

I think I have most of what I need, except math and science. I'd like to just buy them all and have it waiting there for me - but I can't afford it!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[julikins]

I definitely would not be set all the way through highschool. I thought I was doing good because I have quite a bit for the next couple years (through about 6th). But, highschool, not yet.

[frugalmama]

For the next couple of years probably I could with very little. I'm nearly in this position this year as far as buying materials with cash - thank goodness for the ability to earn Amazon gift cards to buy materials with. I really watch for any free items I can use now to help stretch the little funds I do have too.

 

And there is always the possibility of getting materials from The Book Samaritan too.

[Bloggermom]

Could I still buy printer paper and ink? If so, I could go a bit longer without buying curriculum.

[Pam Wilhelm]

Yes. I have math through high school..... literature would come from what I have and the library.......... I don't have a formal Science curriculum through high school, but I could manage with my old college texts.......

 

between what I have, the library, and what I can find online or on my kindle, I feel confident I could homeschool through high school.

 

I think. :tongue_smilie:

[beaners]

With what we own, what is available online, what is available from most libraries, and my personal knowledge? I could go through high school. I could do it with only what we own and my personal knowledge, but that would only be at what I consider a "sufficient" level. More resources would improve our math, science, history, and language offerings. Advances in science and technology would present an obstacle if I couldn't use other resources, mainly because I can't own books about things that haven't happened yet. :001_smile:

 

We own a lot of books on a wide range of topics, and I'm not intimidated by the idea of teaching different subjects on a high school level.

[FairProspects]

No way! My kids aren't even logic-stagers yet and I have no upper level science or math in the house as we were social sciences majors. I have enough Great Books to fill a library, as well as history encyclopedias & textbooks, and even college Latin and Spanish resources, so I would be fine for language and history. I probably even have some logic and rhetoric textbooks in the pile somewhere from philosophy classes. I wouldn't like teaching with only what I have, since there are some great resources like WWS that I plan to purchase in the future, but I could teach the liberal arts out of my stacks.

Edited April 1, 2012 by FairProspects

[Amy Jo]

I think I could cover history, Shakespeare and many Great Books through High-School, as well as Latin & Spanish. I can cover math to 7th or 8th grade, I don't have an algebra book (yet). I couldn't cover science.

[Carrie12345]

Could I still buy printer paper and ink? If so, I could go a bit longer without buying curriculum.

 

:iagree:

 

Give me internet and basic supplies, and I bet I can do it.

(I wouldn't want to, but I could!)

[Soror]

I don't think so with just what we have, as there are gaps as I have adult education material and then stuff for pre-k up to about 3rd- depending on the subject.

[8filltheheart]

All the way through 12th and beyond. :)

[DianeW88]

Oh yeah. A hundred times over. After 17 years, I think I have enough curriculum to homeschool ALL of the Hive's kids all the way through high school. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Does that mean I won't be buying any new curriculum??? Bite your tongue! :D

[Wabi Sabi]

I would be okay for another 2-3 years with what I already own. Not too shabby considering that we're currently first year homeschoolers. :tongue_smilie:

[Julie Smith]

My kids are young. I truthfully don't have very much at all. So nope.

[txhomemom]

I will never have enough! If I was homeschooling a younger student I could probably get by with everything I had, but now that we are heading into high school I would not have enough math, science, and language arts to get us through high school.

[momto2Cs]

Could I still buy printer paper and ink? If so, I could go a bit longer without buying curriculum.

 

:iagree: Well, except after this year I would need math. I think I've got just about everything else!

[Parker Martin]

It would not be ideal, but if I absolutely had to, yes.

[Wheres Toto]

Could I still buy printer paper and ink? If so, I could go a bit longer without buying curriculum.

:iagree: As long as I could print and still have access to the internet, I could do it.

 

Through 6th grade could be done with what I have in the house. I have MM through 6th grade, lots of books on many topics, I have enough HWT paper to fake it for a few years but I already have the K, 1st and 2nd books. I might have to switch around some of what we do but it could be done.

 

High school would depend on what level my kids are working at by that point. I have a LOT of college textbooks, especially math and science (I was a Biology major) but also lots of humanities because I also have a Business Administration/Marketing degree and spent some time studying Elementary Education. DH works in a lab so we could do some pretty involved science without purchasing anything.

[JenninMN]

Yes, I could. I've graduated one and another is almost there. I have only one younger left. I could cover everything from here until graduation with him without buying anything. I would not need to access the internet or print either. Am I planning on doing this? Of course not! But I could.:tongue_smilie:

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Wow! Good, guess I'm not a nutty as DH thinks, or I'm not the only nut out there.

[kristinannie]

I definitely don't need to buy any read aloud until at least 2014, but I am sure I will still buy some more! :lol: I have all of the Apologia elementary books because I got them cheaper as a set. Our library is so pitiful that I cannot rely on them so I say I will definitely be spending a lot more money!!! I would say that by the time my youngest is going through, I could get by with buying ETC workbooks and math workbooks though.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Could I? Yep.

 

Will I? Not a chance. ;):D:lol:

[SunnyDays]

Nope, definitely not. We're first year homeschoolers and my only is a 3rd grader.

 

I could probably make it through elementary school if I *had* to. But I'm not about to find out!! :D

[elegantlion]

:iagree:

 

Give me internet and basic supplies, and I bet I can do it.

(I wouldn't want to, but I could!)

 

:iagree:

 

These are subjects I could do without buying a thing. I'm having to contemplate a lot of that recently, but I still need to buy of the optimal curricula vs. the free one.

 

math - through pre-calc

science - physics, chem, biology, earth science, and anatomy

writing & grammar

history - us and world

latin - finish wheelocks

literature - ancient, russian, british, american, short stories,

government

art history - all eras

 

I know this isn't true for everyone, but the stocking up I've done at thrift stores over the years has come in very handy. In our case I've known we'll always be tight on money, so I buy what I can.

 

yesterday I went to a library book sale and came home with over 70 books for ten dollars. After further review there are only a few I don't think we'll use in some capacity.

[MomatHWTK]

I think I could open a small k-12 private school with the stuff I've collected over time. :tongue_smilie: Most was a Paperback Swap or library sale find. But, I have gone a bit overboard. :blush:

[Farrar]

I'd be fine on curriculum alone for the next 2, maybe 3 years. After that, I'd need to be able to spend some money, at least on math.

 

I could cut back on materials (it's nice to have new pencils, but it's also okay to wear them down to nubbins and I could be much more frugal about paper and so forth), though I'd still need some. And I could cut back drastically on activities and extras and still have us be okay and have a social schedule, though it would be hard to cut everything.

 

On the other hand, we don't spend a ton on materials and curriculum and I'd *like* to be able to get some things for next year. This year we began the school year with a box of all the stuff that I'd gotten for them for the year and a few treats like shiny new pencils and erasers. That's just fun, you know, as long as we're not beyond our means, I'll keep doing that.

[CanaryMelody]

I don't think it's silly at all, especially in this economy where anything can happen, and even middle class families suddenly find themselves unemployed and homeless. Couple that with increasing costs on everything, and I think preparedness is a smart idea. We are still working toward this goal. I'm finding the cost of quality high school material to be slowing us down in being prepared.

 

For all levels, we have grammar, history, Spanish, and Latin covered. We have elementary subjects basically covered including phonics, readers, math, and science. We still need composition/writing, upper maths, high school science, and some high school Great Books.

[SunnyDays]

I agree that it's smart to plan ahead where you can... we live in uncertain times. If you find good deals, or have some "found money" you can spend, it just makes sense to have things on hand that you know you'll need later.

 

Personally, I'm looking forward to the back to school sales this year for the first time! (Usually, it's a chore to follow some teacher's list. This year, we buy what WE want to!) When the prices hit rock bottom, I plan to buy enough pencils, notebooks, and such that we could probably supply the district!!

[Joyofsixreboot]

It wouldn't be ideal but I could muddle through as long as I had Internet access. I obsessively keep free websites in case our funds deplete further.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I agree about the "not ideal" thing and I dread the idea of putting it all together myself but IF I had to I could. Even if I had to do without internet (for the uncertain times event) I could. I will need to stock up on paper and supplies though.

[sagira]

I wouldn't want to, as I'm seriously lacking in middle school materials, but I could if I really had to.

[Hunter]

My home library is becoming so good, that it is starting to empty out as fast as I stock it. People are coming to my apartment instead of the public library, and a lot never comes back. I enjoy it all though :-)

 

One of the people who loses the majority of my books at her sister's house, also gives me book money, so...MOST of the time it's more fun to get a new to ME book, than get back my old one. Sometimes NOT though!

 

I have severe memory loss, so just about anything could have happened to one particular book, but I think one overpriced book that I have purchased 3 times is missing, and I think this last copy was stolen by one of my "friends". I'm more amused than cross. It's just that this book is so overpriced that annoys me. I don't think she wants to keep it, but can't give it back without me knowing.

 

Books are the only thing I hoard. Other than books, I am an EXTREME minimalist. The contrast is funny.

[mama25angels]

I could continue up through about 10th grade, but that's because I sold some stuff that wasn't working as well as I wanted and haven't replaced it yet. I would of course have to buy some workbooks as well

[NASDAQ]

I have all my books from school; My mother saved them.

 

We save money to hedge against bad times, not home school materials.

[kalanamak]

I could do two more years, and after that I think with math texts I could wing it.

[RootAnn]

. I don't have a formal Science curriculum through high school, but I could manage with my old college texts.......

 

 

If I had to? Yes. It wouldn't be great. A lot would have to be even more teacher-intensive than I have now since I'd be piecing things together (like college texts & stuff on my shelves). But, yes.

 

I haven't stocked up for that far in the future. Things are too fluid around here.

[TeaCookiesBears]

Many books were given/lent to me at the start of my homeschooling journey that if I had to peace meal together to create a curriculum I probably could.However,many things that were given dd13 can not stand I think I would have a riot if I could not buy anything to fit her needs.

 

I am usually on a budget so buying used or using currclick has been a life saver for me but as long as I have the Internet and a printer I am ok :tongue_smilie:

[Penelope]

I could go for a couple of years, and longer than that for some things, but not everything. Definitely not through high school.

[Mommy22alyns]

Nope, I'd be out of luck. I don't buy things waaaaay in advance because you never know what might change.

[LaMere Academy]

I was a huge curiculum junkie when the kids were younger. The last few years money has been so tight and I'm so thankful I bought liberally back in the day. We are able to homeschool now with minimal purchases each year. We have our own library with books on most subjects, I have several Sonlight cores and tons of science and history curriculum.

[jessicamcc]

Is this Doomsday Preppers for Homescoolers??????:lol:

I have stocked up on some things and I am glad. Money is tighter this year, so my budget is much less than usual.

[2_girls_mommy]

I could do this coming year for the core stuff only: 3 R's, plus history and science, art. I have some Latin materials, but I want a full program. We would continue a sad study of the language without it, but it wouldn't be good.

 

Through high school? No way. I guess if I was completely out of $ we would have to go the virtual school route.

[prairiewindmomma]

We would have a few gaps, and it wouldn't be pretty, but I think we could get by. We'd be scrambling in math and science--adapting down old college text books and using Khan Academy to make it work.

 

We have had years thinking we had x,xxx to spend on school only to have a medical emergency and discover that we had what we could scrape from the grocery budget for the year ($15/month, max) and heavy demands on our time.... I try to buy a full year ahead of school materials. I also try to buy texts that are easily handed down between siblings.

[Ecclecticmum]

Um.....sort of ? :001_huh:

 

I am sure I could piece something together, especially in this hypothetical scenario if it included use of the library, but it would require a lot of work, and probably be more teacher intensive. If I was using TOG, I would probably have all I needed lol.

 

But no, not really, we only have stuff for the current year and a few bits and pieces for next year. Each of my children learn differently, so require their own thought out curriculum.

[TeaCookiesBears]

... I try to buy a full year ahead of school materials. I also try to buy texts that are easily handed down between siblings.

 

 

That is what I try to do also every year around tax season and I also try to buy things in advance because I never know when hard times may hit. Even though me Dds may not be fond of everything we have I am thankful to have those books for a rainy day.

[usetoschool]

We have been doing this for a loooooong time and I kept what I loved as we went along. So, yep, we are covered. My grandchildren (who are not even born yet) are covered :D

[Mommyfaithe]

Yup....several times over.....sigh....

[sewgirlie]

I have everything I'd need through high school, but I wouldn't be happy about it! It's all textbooks... Maybe I need to post on the for sale board, instead of here ;).