How do you keep your curriculum costs down?

[Annie Laurie]

I just spent the most I've spent in one year buying this year's materials. This is the first year I'm implementing a lot of structure with my middle two, and there was more to buy for them. Also, my oldest is entering highschool, and his materials were expensive.

 

So I did a rough work up of next year, hoping to reassure myself with the fact that next year wouldn't be as expensive, as I already have an SL core I will be using with my middle two, already have phonics/LA for my youngest, and already have LA for my middle two.

 

Even with not needing to buy history or LA for the youngest three, it looked like I'd be spending as much as this year. (Around $2500, which I know from other hsers is at the high end of the scale). I don't know what I'm doing "wrong"- maybe I just have a penchant for choosing the most expensive items. All along, dh has reassured me that eventually we'll get to the point of having to buy very little each year, as the younger kids can reuse oldest ds' stuff, but I don't know that I'm doing a very good job of buying reusable curriculum either.

 

How do you all keep costs down?

[happyWImom]

Wow, it scares me to look at that!:001_huh: I thought I was bad. My problem is that I end up buying more than one curriculum, curriculum I don't always need but that looks great, PLUS I am a fanatic when it comes to just buying books for them instead of doing the library as much as I should.

 

The way I have cut down this year somewhat is finding used curriculum, and that made a difference. Also, selling my stuff, and figuring out from now own to copy pages and not let the kids write in the workbooks.

 

Tammi

[Plaid Dad]

Here are some things that help me stay within our very tight budget:

 

* Streamline the curriculum to avoid redundancy (e.g., teach grammar and vocabulary via Latin, or spelling, penmanship, and usage via copywork rather than buy a separate curriculum for each)

* Buy used curriculum when possible

* Sell curriculum as soon as we're done with it

* Educate myself so I need fewer pre-packaged curricula overall and can...

* Focus on living books and therefore

* Use the library heavily

 

I should say that I only have one child, and I'm sure that my expenses will be greater as she approaches high school. But $2500 is a lot of money; I'm not sure how I could spend that much unless I was outsourcing a whole lot of subjects.

 

Do you have a lot of big-ticket items, or is the money going out little bit by little bit? I find that when I go over budget, it's by buying "just one book" here and there; it adds up quickly.

 

Good luck! I'm interested to hear how other people handle this. :bigear:

[Cami in UT]

I know I'm not much help because I'm having the same problem in that my costs have gone up each year, too. I do try to get reusable curriculum and my second boy is starting to use his older brothers older stuff. I just keep finding "better" curriculum that I think will fit my second boy better.

 

One thing I do is have an idea of what I'll be teaching next year, not a hard set plan but a wish list with options. Then I watch the sale boards on everything and buy when I can. I have found some good used stuff on yahoo boards for each curriculum that I'm thinking about. I also watch the sales from stores for the non consumable parts of the curriculum. Like I said I'm not much help, but that is what I do.:)

[gamommy]

Wow! That's quite a figure. Financial concerns were huge for us when we pulled our girls from school. I try very hard to stay within budget. We are blessed to have a great homeshool consignment shop about 15 mins. from us. A homeschool mom runs it out of her home. They always have a wonderful selection and I'm able to get many things there. We will spend about $750 or so for three students (12, 10, 6) for this year.

 

In general:

1) I buy used whenever possible. I use Ebay extensively as well as local book sales.

2) I try to 'try before I buy', getting things from the library or borrowing from my fellow homeschoolers. My local group is great for that.

3) I streamline whenever possible, I often don't get teacher's manuals, lesson plan guides, etc. Sometimes I don't buy prepackaged tests, etc. either. I often make my own. This depends on the program a bit, but in general I opt out of lots of the extras.

4) I use my library extensively, including inter-library loans, etc. Just because my library doesn't have it on the shelf doesn't mean they can't get it for me.

5) We use non-consumable programs when we can (though we don't choose curric. just for that reason).

6)We don't write in all of our consumables and we photocopy extensively.

7) I resell (usually Ebay) when we're finished and recycle immediately towards new materials.

8)I found RR has the best prices on much of what we do need to buy new. CBD is my next go to source.

[Chris in CA]

Before I buy I make my schedule, so that I can be sure (realistically) that I can fit all my wonderful plans into my very real time slots.

[runningirl71]

Here are some things that help me stay within our very tight budget:

 

* Streamline the curriculum to avoid redundancy (e.g., teach grammar and vocabulary via Latin, or spelling, penmanship, and usage via copywork rather than buy a separate curriculum for each)

* Buy used curriculum when possible

* Sell curriculum as soon as we're done with it

* Educate myself so I need fewer pre-packaged curricula overall and can...

* Focus on living books and therefore

* Use the library heavily

 

 

This is how I pretty much keep costs down too. DH works at a univ. so I can get most books I need through interlibrary loan through his school's library. It does take more organization to do this, but I don't mind.

 

I've found my biggest money saver is to sell my books after we're done and use that money to buy *new* used books.

 

I have found that I've spent more money than what I got from my sales, but I really don't need to. I find that where I spend $ is buying books for convenience. I will do that with certain books, but not all.

 

Also, think of buying books that can be used for multiple years. I'm thinking of like Handbook of Nature Study, where you don't have to buy it again.

[Jenny in Florida]

First of all, I don't buy curriculum packages (Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Veritas, Winter Promise, etc.). I look at their lists and the suggestions in TWTM and then make up my own plan.

 

I think and plan as far ahead as I can, giving myself time to find good deals. For example, I carry in my purse a list of all the general topics we'll be studying for history in the next couple of years, along with the specific titles of books I know we'll want. One of my favorite hobbies is to browse discount and close-out bookstores, as well as the bargain tables at Barnes & Noble. So, with my list in hand, I can often find and purchase a whole year's worth of reading material for about half the price I would pay for buying a package from someone else.

 

I stay flexible. The reality is that there are lots and lots of great books and materials out there. Just because something is "the thing" right now and costs twice as much doesn't mean it's necessarily "better." I don't worry about buying the specific edition of the history encyclopedia recommended in TWTM, for example. I just look for one I think will be workable for my child and that fits my budget.

 

I use as many free resources as I can find. There are tons of websites with really great things: everything from enrichment to full curricula. (For example, my son's primary math curriculum for next year is an open access course from the University of California.) It's just a question of finding the one that works for you.

 

I occasionally buy used from TWTM Sale boards or websites like Half.com.

 

I do recycle materials from kid to kid when possible.

 

I have educator discount cards from every major book retailer and a membership at B&N. I get coupons and special offers throughout the year, which I use to purchase books and materials I know I won't find at a better price elsewhere.

 

Once I feel that I have exhausted my options for free and super-cheap resources and still have a list of things that "must" be ordered, I go to work comparing prices from various outlets. On the materials I ordered from Rainbow Resources this year, I saved $65 (about 25% of the original price) over what it would have cost me to order those same books from B&N, even with my membership.

 

Now, admittedly, I was even more frugal when my kids were younger. However, I feel pretty good about my budget for next year. I'm teaching only my 10-year-old son at home, and I will spend a grand total of $501 on curriculum. That includes: Latin, Spanish, Greek, Math, Science, Logic (light), Art, English (grammar, vocabulary and writing), History and Geography.

 

I figured out that it works out to a savings of anywhere from 30 - 70% over various packaged curricula and has the advantage of being tailored to my child's individual needs.

 

It's work, but at this point in my life, I feel better about expending energy than money.

[happygrrl]

I think the actual number is not as important as butgeting within your means. I know folks who spend way more than $2500/yr., but it is within their means and therefore appropriate. There are worse ways to spend money!

 

That said- I have a tendency to spend tons, as we have very poor library resources. I have a total $ number that I have to keep within. I look and list to my heart's content, and when I hit my number I have to start prioritizing the list. I also wait to order until the last minute, so that I have time to see if a certain book can be found used. There is nothing worse than finding your book for 1/2 price the day *after* you placed the order! I am relentless about scouring the sale forum here, as well as other places, so that I know a good used price when I see it (This year I have saved over $700 by buying used, though that also tells you that my budget is pretty big!). If possible, I try to choose curriculum that I know will have a high resale value. I try to buy non-consumable books. I also check with the publisher- often their copyright will allow workbooks to be used for the entire family.

 

That said, It takes some time. I do these things because I enjoy the hunt. If you don't enjoy it, use your time to save $ in another area, and apply those savings to the homeschool budget.

[carolinagirl710]

Like many others, I buy used when possible. Our local homeschool group is a great source for looking over curriculum before I buy and I've found that once I look it over, I usually pass. Our group also is great for giving away curriculum they are no longer using as a ministry to help other members and others lend out what they are not using now with the expectation it will be returned. If it is damaged, it is replaced. So far, it has worked out well for everyone.

 

HTH,

Elaine in PA

[Ummto4]

USe public domain books, lots of living blooks from the library and FREE online curriculum, such as: ambleside online, old fashioned education, and simply charlotte mason. Other moms in this board also have their lesson plan up in their blogs, so you can peruse those.

 

3Rhomeschool is a yahoogrouop based on old fashioned education, and this group often shares free resources and tips on how to homeschool frugally.

 

I'm planning to use a lot of public domain books in the future as they're free from the internet + of good quality. This year, I persuade my husband to shell out $200 for a good laser duplex printer. That'll be our biggest purchase. OTher expenses are paper, art supply, school supply, globe, software to make my own copywork/penmanship worksheet ($50), and *may be* a homeschool tracker software (not sure yet).

 

Phonics is over for my ds 6, so LA is going to be based on free readers and possibly primary language lesson type of book (free also from google books). I also will throw in five in a row occasionally for additional LA, science, social study, and character (bought cheaply from ebay) + utilize library books and book list from adapted ambleside online / old fashioned education (to get chronological history) as our read aloud. All of those books are available from either the library or public domain (FREE).

 

Our biggest other expense is math since I use Rightstart. But I bought everything used (more than 50% OFF) & it's not consumable. I also supplement math with mathmammoth which is quite cheap ($72 for grade 1-4) and can be printed over and over and over. I'll also utilize a lot of online resources like enchanted learning, various online math games, free literature based-unit sstudies like homeschool share (whenever we feel like it), etc.

 

Other tips have been covered by other posters.

 

So really, you don't need to buy one curriculum for each subject. And you don't have to use textbooks to cover each subject. Living books are better and FREE.

 

Dian

[rafiki]

.

[hsmamainva]

Here are some ways that I've kept costs down.

 

1) Rod & Staff English - the hardback textbooks only need to be purchased once and then I just have to buy the workbook and test booklets for each child (they're around $2 each)

 

2) I use Natural Speller for spelling - one $25 book covers grades 2 through 8 for spelling

 

3) Handwriting Without Tears - around $5 for each book

 

4) I put together my own Sonlight cores. I've found just about every core curriculum guide for free at used curriculum sales and then find my own copies of the books required (this year, I put together Core 4 for around $100; next year, my son will be using Core 5, which I put together for $150). I can then pass them down to my youngest when she's ready

 

5) Apologia science - purchase the hardback books once and then I'm done, save for when I have to replace the experiment supplies

 

6) Just save as much curriculum as you can for each child down the line. I spend the most on my oldest, because I know I can then pass them down to her siblings

[titianmom]

Buy used, create your own history and stay away from Cathy Duffy's guide with the latest "Fad" curricula, LOL.

 

Just kidding, I do look at it to see what's out there, but honestly, if you're willing to do the work, it is cheaper to build your own subjects using bits and pieces off eBay and message boards, etc. Sonlight and a lot of other curricula out there are expensive IMHO, and I've tried Spnlight, K12, whatever and my stuff has always been better IMHO! Why? Because I cut out a lot of the unnec fluff & stuff. Hey, we only have so many hours a day for school. I think many of these publishers make school way too complicated and lengthy, IMHO. And I throw in practical courses early, like typing, for ex.

 

I use either the TWTM resource as a guide, or Core Knowledge's "What your ... needs to Know" as a scope and sequence and go for it. The library, ebay, used books off Amazon, etc has everything you need.

 

My daughter has been homeschooled on Mom's stuff for the past 6 years and she's 11, now. She is doing 7-8 grade level work and everyone says she's a wonder. She's bright and we're doing just fine without all of the latest and greatest.

 

Just an ex, I picked up a OLD 6th grade English textbook used for a buck and have been using it for several years to teach her grammar and writing using my own ideas and worksheets. Again, she's testing on the 7-8th grade level (I pull some more complicated stuff off the Internet.)

 

Some other tried and trues that aren't a TOP 100 pick?

Natural Speller is great, I'm wearing that one out...

My old English textbook discard

Old fashioned teaching verbally while they sit there and listen, LOL.

The library, library, library. Maybe they all aren't on the latest Fad's book list, but they're good, anyway.

Encyclopedias

Used anything off eBay and Amazon

A word processor and some creativity

The Internet, how could I leave that one out...used it to teach sentence diagramming...

Free Audio books online. Free (Did I mention that they were free? Books like Beowulf and The Story of the Middle Ages by Harding, etc. Good stuff!)

 

And I save hundreds every year.

 

Kim

[michaeljenn]

By staying off this message board:lol::lol:

 

Seriously, I try to buy used as much as possible. I also try to buy non-consumables like Rod and Staff that can be used by more than one child.

 

I have also realised that just because something "seems" better, or someone is raving over their success with a curriculum, it may not be for us. I am so bad about wanting what someone else has because of their good reviews:glare: BUT, I have realised that you have just got to pick something and stick with it. It is school work... and none of it is really much fun:tongue_smilie:!! It has only taken 7 years to figure this out:D:D

 

Jen

[Kelli in TN]

USe public domain books, lots of living blooks from the library and FREE online curriculum, such as: ambleside online, old fashioned education, and simply charlotte mason. Other moms in this board also have their lesson plan up in their blogs, so you can peruse those.

 

I'm planning to use a lot of public domain books in the future as they're free from the internet + of good quality. This year, I persuade my husband to shell out $200 for a good laser duplex printer. That'll be our biggest purchase. OTher expenses are paper, art supply, school supply, globe, software to make my own copywork/penmanship worksheet ($50), and *may be* a homeschool tracker software (not sure yet).

 

 

 

Yup. You want the laser printer and pretty much anything you could want is probably somewhere on the internet.

[ereks mom]

Here are some things that help me stay within our very tight budget:

 

* Streamline the curriculum to avoid redundancy (e.g., teach grammar and vocabulary via Latin, or spelling, penmanship, and usage via copywork rather than buy a separate curriculum for each)

* Buy used curriculum when possible

* Sell curriculum as soon as we're done with it

* Educate myself so I need fewer pre-packaged curricula overall and can...

* Focus on living books and therefore

* Use the library heavily

QUOTE]

 

I do all these things too. I spend well under $500 per year for 2 kids.

[Mom to Aly]

This year, I have spent way less, which is necessary as I'm a single mom on a really! tight budget. Last year and the year before I went for straight curricula, and it was so expensive, and we were really not happy with it; it was OK in some aspects, but in others didn't fit right, so this year, I am doing mostly theme studies for history and LA, with a creative writ. prog. I have Spelling Power which I bought last year, which can take all of your kids through high school for $50. As I finish the theme studies, I can sell them back and buy more, but on half.com, but buying from the same seller and getting half off ship for the extra books, I got a ton (mostly evan moore, my fave) for almost nothing, and got a few lit, too. Doing theme studies takes care of history and lit at the same time! The only whole curricula programs I'm using are MUS & Trail Guide to US Geography. I really feel if you do the smaller studies you can save a lot. With whole curricula, you are paying for their time in putting it all together, which apparently, at least to them, is worth quite a lot.

[JESSICAinMD]

I use the library for all read alouds. I use the library to check out curriculum so that I can try them out before I buy them. That way I save money by not buying something that doesn't work for us. For consumable things, I look up curriculum on website and print off samples. I don't just try to guess if it will work I try it with my kids. If the curriculum I am interested in doesn't have a sample online, I call and I request one. I try to buy things all at once from companies so that I can qualify for free shipping. Before I place an order, I call to see if they have any current discounts or if they are scheduled to have a sale soon. I use ebay, rainbow resources, and Overstock.com.

 

In short two things save me a lot of money.

1. using a library card whenever possible

2. Researching heavily before buying anything

[LizzyBee]

I buy used as often as possible. I pay an annual fee to use the library in a neighboring county because our county's library system is stuck in the 1950's.

[Suzannah]

I haven't read all of the replies yet, but I'll throw my two cents in.

 

Have a Plan

Just as with grocery shopping, you need to have a plan. I try to make out my "wish list" well before I intend to buy so I have time to really think about what we need and what I just want because it looks good. I look at it from time to time and narrow down the choices to what I realy NEED and what I'd like to get if I can.

 

Borrow or Buy Used

Also, if you start planning early you may find some really good deals on curricula on the Sale/Swap boards here, Ebay or at used curriculum sales in your area. Or if you have homeschooling friends with older children, they may have just what you need (or something similar) to lend or give away. Or if you really think you need to have all new books for one reason or another, go ahead and borrow them anyway to get a feel for whether it's really what you want before you pay full price and get stuck with something you can't use.

 

Keep Track

I've always kept some sort of list for our homeschool puchases but this year I went ahead and made a spread sheet. I listed the items I need for each child including a column for full-price with shipping and what I actually paid for it if I bought used. At the bottom of each column I keep a running total so I can see how we're doing. If we get to the end of the summer and I still haven't bought everything I need, I'll go ahead and place a Rainbow order for whatever's left. This has been very helpful, but in order to make it even better, I also keep a running tally of what I've "saved". This is the total of everything bought for full-price, minus what I've actually spent plus whatever's left over if bought full price. It makes me feel better. :)

 

Use the Library

You may not have the best library system in the world, but chances are there is a library within a reasonable distance of you that has many resources for FREE! I can check our library's catalog online to see what books it has. Anything not carried goes on my wishlist. You may find that you don't really need that particular book but can substitue another one. Often when doing my "big picture" planning I notice that we will only need a book for a few weeks or maybe a couple of months at most. Our library lets us check out books for 3 weeks at a time, with 3 renewals. This way I can easily keep a book for 9 weeks on one card. We have multiple cards in our family so I could recheck it on a different card if I needed to, but we haven't needed to do that yet.

 

Ask for school books/supplies for Christmas

Sure there are probably other things you'd rather have like a cruise or diamond earrings. But it doesn't hurt to add a couple of items to your Amazon wishlist that are school related. I actually have a separate school wishlist on Amazon and my mother enjoys buying a couple of things from it each year (in addition to regular gifts).

 

Anyway, that's my strategy. HTH

[Wendi]

I'm blessed to have a couple of good friends who also homeschool classically, and our kids are at different levels. So we swap items back and forth all the time. I will make a list of what I need/want, see what Cindy and Heather can loan me, check the libraries' online catalogs, and only buy what I have to.

 

I've also found interlibrary loan to be very helpful, although it does require some planning ahead.

 

Wendi

[G5052]

I borrow and beg what I can. Knowing a lot of homeschoolers helps, and I've been known to ask around in April and May to see if anyone will loan or sell me something they've been using when they're done. I'm blessed with two good library systems and access to college inter-library loan (a perk of being a part-time professor), but of course you have to buy some things.

 

I also don't change what's working. I don't mean to offend folks with more resources, but being a curriculum junkie has never been even a possibility around here. I pay the bills, I know exactly what the limits are. I can't be buying things that I'm not 95% sure about, so the latest fad doesn't interest me.

 

And I'm always selling things, and I budget an additional $50/month to buy curriculum if I don't have other bills to pay. I keep an ongoing list and buy year-round. Now I'm buying for 2009-2010 because we just started our 2008-2009 year.

[momofkhm]

I buy as much used as I can. We have a local homeschool store. Half the store is new, half is used. When I know I will be needing something, I go with a list and start looking every other week. Since I will need an elementary Apologia book, I may go every week. For instance, I have all the books I need for TOG y2u1. But I have a list of the books I will need to buy for the rest of the year in my purse.

 

The other thing I do is try to sell what I won't use next time through the history cycle and then use that money for new books.

 

I still end up spending a lot. BUT dh looks at it as I'm spending less than if the kids went to private school ($5000 ea per year) so he doesn't complain too much.

[Tiffani]

This year is the first year we've spent over $2000, but it 's the first year I've bought for 4 kids too!

 

My biggest expensive is due to my choices. I started all over this year. I had many years of SL and this year I'm using WP. I bought 2 programs and 4 LA. So if I'd had it from previous years and I wouldn't have spent so much. But, the good news is...I only have to spend "this" much for 3 more years and then I won't be buying much at all! (B/c I'm "not" switching again;) )

 

I agree w/ the others that sell their stuff when they're finished. And then use that towards next year's. I like to plan and I too have already figured what next year will cost....so hopefully I can sell what my younger 2 use this year and help buy next year's.

 

Last thing....it's a whole lot cheaper than $400/month/child for private!:D

[holdinon]

I don't have any new suggestions on how to keep costs down. But, from a different point of view....

 

You mentioned that your dh had assured you it would get better. Now, I don't know if it will "get better", but this tells me that you have voiced your concern to him and he is supportive and okay with it.

 

Not that it gives you "permission" to go out and blow lots of money, but if you and dh are on the same page and you have his support, I don't think you need to feel guilty.

 

We tend to spend a lot as well. I do try to be as frugal (within reason) as possible and I do run the purchases (especially the "bigger" items) by dh, but as long as we are on the same page, I try not to worry about it too much.

 

For the record....I had this exact same "issue" last year(and my school-age dc's were only 9, 6, and 5), and a more seasoned fellow homeschooler pointed this out to me--Different families spend different amounts on homeschooling, just like different families spend differing amounts on houses and cars and clothes. As long as both spouses are on a same page, all is well....

 

Anyway, that's what she told me, and to me, it made sense. It made me feel less guilty anyway:001_smile:

[Testimony]

Here are some things that help me stay within our very tight budget:

 

* Streamline the curriculum to avoid redundancy (e.g., teach grammar and vocabulary via Latin, or spelling, penmanship, and usage via copywork rather than buy a separate curriculum for each)

* Buy used curriculum when possible

* Sell curriculum as soon as we're done with it

* Educate myself so I need fewer pre-packaged curricula overall and can...

* Focus on living books and therefore

* Use the library heavily

 

 

I do the exact same thing, but I still mess up and get something redundant. I promised myself that I was not going to get any grammar program next year for my fifth grader. I broke my promise and got it. My older son who is the fifth grader can handle it. My younger would not.

 

I only have two sons. So, my costs are different from yours.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony:lurk5:

[St. Theophan Academy]

yes! streamlining is huge, no need for a totally new grammar program if you are doing Latin, or Classical Writing. I am fortunate to have a large homeschool budget, but at the same time, I do not want to feel guilty for wasting it, so I do try to carefully research before buying something. My big money pit is Amazon. If I just stay away from Amazon, I save a fortune, because I am a sucker for books. So my rule is, I never buy anything the day I find it online. If I really like something, I try to bookmark it, and wait a few days. Many times I realize that I really don't need it, it just sounded fun. Now, I totally broke all my rules when I bought Math on the Level at convention this year, but I do think that was a good decision :) I also agree that I would not worry so much about the dollar amount as I would about what you can afford. I spend more than many, but I do have a monthly budget, I know what I am allowed to spend based on what we can afford, and I stay within that amount.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I am careful about what I spend, but I still tend to spend a bit. (over $1,000) But I know where it is going. This year $400 went on French, but I really felt like we needed a traditional course along with the DVD. We choose BJ, so it cost 400. Science is our other big expense. Again, we went with BJ. I bought everything used. I am not using their DVD, but instead I will use the DIVE CD, plus I had to buy all of the stuff for the labs. My dh and I both feel it is important that the labs get done. We are doing Physical Science this year, so I need to buy beakers, digital scale, plus other equipment that I don't have.

 

It does get better. While I am spending more these days, it is mostly because I have a child in HS and I need to get certain things. I have used a lot of non-consumable things for the younger grades, so I don't have to re-buy for that. Of course, there are a few things I have changed, and that has cost, but it has not cost much.

 

If you can afford to buy good materials, and you are happy with them, I would not worry about how much you have spent. Your child's education is worth the money.

[nmoira]

Down? Is that possible. :) :lol:

 

DD goes through material so quickly I try not to think in terms of cost, but rather amortization. Some days I think I should have another kid to get a lower cost per student. :) I also tend to overbuy for, ahem, "evaluation purposes." Really I don't have a problem even though I have 4 or 5 first year Latin curricula, and have started to purchase advanced math texts. However, I still spend only a fraction of what private school tuition would be per student (going rate in the area is $10,000-$14,000), so overall we're not doing too badly. Yeah, that's a rationalization. That's why I went to grad school.

[FO4UR]

Well, I'm just starting out. My oldest is 5yo.;)

 

I'm doing most of what has already been said. I chose SWR and Miquon Math. I like them for academic reasons, but I also like that they will be used multiple years by all three of my dc (I will have to get Miquon workbooks, but they are less than $6 a piece.) I bought these "kindergarten year" and instead of buying a K curriculum, I'm spending K doing the recommended activities to prepare for 1st grade......isn't that what K is supposed to be anyway:tongue_smilie: We are also reading several public domain books from OFE.

 

Now, I'm working on my 1st grade wishlist with math and phonics/spelling already bought. I'm focusing my 1st grade wishlist on living books and things like SOTW and Apologia science that will be used over again (and have a good resell value if not). I search GCF, dollar stores, etc. but I don't buy unless I know I need it in the next year or so (unless it's free). I have a HS consignmet shop close and I go browse once in a while.

 

Watching this thread for more ideas:lurk5:

[Annie Laurie]

 

Do you have a lot of big-ticket items, or is the money going out little bit by little bit? I find that when I go over budget, it's by buying "just one book" here and there; it adds up quickly.

 

Good luck! I'm interested to hear how other people handle this. :bigear:

 

Yes, that's the problem. I usually buy two new SL cores a year(one for the oldest, one for the middle two), that is close to $1000 right there. Then one of my kids uses MUS, which is a pricier math curriculum. I have just switched my middle two to Singapore in an effort to use a less expensive math curriculum, at least for them. LA was over $100 for my oldest, as well as his science. It's hard to find a highschool level science that isn't. You're right about the "just one book" mentality too, I'm a book junkie and buy a lot of them and it adds up more than I realize I think.

[Annie Laurie]

If you can afford to buy good materials, and you are happy with them, I would not worry about how much you have spent. Your child's education is worth the money.

 

That's been our mentality, I recently looked at a local private school's tuition and for my four kids, it would be monthly almost what I spend a year. Dh encourages me to buy whatever might be a good fit or make hsing easier on me, it's important to him that our kids be homeschooled. We're very careful with our money and have no debt, I have to say that this one area- books and curriculum, is the only area where we spend extravagantly. I do buy good quality things though and plan to reuse what I can, which is why I don't sell the previous year's stuff to fund the new stuff. I am not opposed to buying used, but whenever I check it seems like anything I'm looking for is not available. I'm assuming that you have to be looking all year to find what will you'll need used for the following?

 

Anyway, I appreciate all the great ideas! I do have a wonderful library system I should utilize more. And maybe if I plan ahead I can find more used. We do use living books and don't own any textbooks, so I haven't found living books to be less expensive. We do have a big home library, so I guess that's where a lot of the money goes. SL is expensive but those books get read over and over so I consider it a worthwhile investment. My youngest loves workbooks but can complete one in no time at all so I'm always buying him new ones. This thread was really helpful in helping me figure out how I'm spending so much.

 

My frugal side is just feeling guilty that while we can afford it, I could work a little harder not to spend quite so much and put it toward something else. I think it might start leveling off in a few years, at least I hope so.

[Haiku]

I found a free "spine" curriculum, Mosaic intro to World History (which also schedules in read-alouds and poetry), and most of the books suggested can be found at the library. Anything that can't be, I find a substitute for at the library. The only things I am buying for this curriculum are things I had already wanted to buy for general use anyway (such as Usborne I-L Encyclopedia of World History). I also borrow from friends.

 

I found a math curriculum I love (RightStart) and bought it used.

 

I buy cheap workbooks for phonics (ETC) and use them also for spelling and handwriting practice.

 

I bought an inexpensive science curriculum (Keepers of the Animals) that is based mostly on reading (which we love to do anyway) and do-at-home activities to accompany each story.

 

At this stage I am focusing on the basics and not doing a lot of extras. Anything that I need to buy, I buy used.

 

I don't buy fancy guides to tell me how to organize things. That's what my (used) copy of TWTM is for.

 

So, my main suggestions are:

 

1) Use the library

2) Buy used -or- borrow from friends

3) Keep it simple

4) Use your copy of TWTM in place of paying for an expensive scheduling guide -or-

5) Find a free curriculum (like Mosaic) that comes with a guide

 

Tara

[summer]

Wow! You do spend a lot.

 

I never would have considered SL as it was so expensive. I have seen ussed TG at the homeschool store, so now, if I wanted to do it, I would buy a used guide and then get the books from the library, or used for cheap. I have the Sonlight Catalog and when I am in a used book store, I will keep my eye out for some of the books and if I see them for cheap..I will sometimes buy them. Due to filling up my shelves and having a bunch left over, I now chose the library often over buying them.

 

Cost is a part of my decisions in what I use. It sounds like you tend to chose the more expensive options. This year, I bought for 4 children and spent way way less. Here is what I bought. Singapore Math and BJU books for my 2nd grader (couldn't decide which to do), 2 levels of Maps books from MCP for him, 2 more for his sister. Some things from CLE like their calendar book (looks wonderful! I recommend it!), Handwriting books...3 of them (I went overboard, went to a convention this year), Apologia General Science with CD and all, Latina Christiana 1 with DVDs and all, Spelling Workout B and Wordly Wise 7th grade. I have some books I bought a while back that I will be using that I got for cheap by keeping my eye out for used, like the Geneveive Foster books, a bunch of books from Sonlight lists, and so on. I already have the Word Roots software for all 3 levels they had out as of a year ago. I did pick up $60 worth of books from Half Priced books last night..and that included the Jacob's Algebra book and "Leonardo's Machines" and "Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwieler." I also got a Jenney's Latin book for $7. I also have purchased some things for my 4yr old..like the first HWOT book that is really just tracing. I also bought a cutting book from Kumon and other little things like that. My biggest purchase for this year was WriteShop, but even with that, I got the TG used so it was cheaper than usual.

 

I have never been this wasteful in past years in purchasing. I have purchased a fair number of things that will not be used. In past, I have kept my purchasing below $100. It is likely I actually went over that just from purchasing books from used book stores, but now I only purchase what I really want to be on my shelves years from now. With Sonlight, you should check your local library and used book stores for books from the lists before you purchase. Or consider other curriculums if it gets too money consuming.

 

On the otherhand, if you do not mind spending the money (in the past, I minded, this year, not so much. But I think I would faint before spending $2500) I just wanted you to know it really is not neccesary to purchase so much.

 

I hope this helps!

[BabyBre]

The first thing I do is buy used. There are MANY great used curriculum resources on the internet. This board, of course, but I also like www.homeschoolclassifieds.com and I save searches on ebay to e-mail me daily when new items I'm looking for are listed. You can also just google your search to get tons of other for sale listings and shop for the best price.

 

I also sell our books as soon as we're finished with them if I won't need them for my younger one. I keep the money I get from selling materials in a PayPal account that I use only for purchasing more curricula. That way it supports itself for the most part.

 

One thing that's been helpful (but wasn't exactly planned) is that we don't finish all our subjects at the same time. That way I don't have to come up with several hundred (not thousand!) dollars for the next year's curricula at once, and in case that PayPal fund doesn't cover the entire purchase, it only takes a little bit more to cover it, not a lot. I made up a schedule (simple and handwritten) of when each subject is projected to be finished and I'll start hunting for the next level or curriculum in time to have it arrive by then. This also keeps our topics seamless and omits any need for review (as in after a summer break). Yes, it keeps me curriculum hunting for much of the year, but honestly, that's not so bad, is it? ;)

 

Another thing is to combine your 7 and 6 year olds into the same curriculum levels where possible. Mine are also that age and at least share history together right now. My 6yo began by just sitting in on my 7yo's lessons when they were both younger and its AMAZING what they pick up that way. He's advancing at such an incredible rate now in math that I think he'll be caught up to her within a year or so and then they can also share math. I save all her curricula, of course, to use with him (provided it's something that will work for his different learning style). Make sure you give your 4yo some manipulatives to play with at the table while they're having a lesson, engaging him whenever possible.

 

Here's what I'm using that works for us with this plan (7yo; 6yo respectively):

 

Math: Saxon 3 (just begun); Saxon 1 (almost finished and ready for Saxon 2)

Grammar/Writing: FLL 3/WWE 3 (waiting for WWE to arrive); FLL 1/WWE 1 (also waiting)

Spelling: Reason for Spelling B; activities/games on 7yo's old lists (NOT a workbook kind of kid)

Reading: Books, books, books! I make sure their rooms are always filled with books from our weekly library visits, having to do with our lessons for the week.

History: SOTW 3 (6yo began by sitting in and coloring the student pages when he was younger, and so he's slightly out of the recommended rotation, but it's easily adaptable.)

Science: Science in a Nutshell kits (fun for all ages)

Latin: Sing Song Latin (7yo does the workbook pages, 6yo does whiteboard work)

 

I may be forgetting something. We just began afterschooling (switched from homeschooling) this year, but somehow I don't spend any less on curriculum! You could also try to choose curricula that contain many levels in one book to cut down on what you spend, like FLL, WWE or Spelling Power.

 

Anyway, HTH!

[Shelly in VA]

I don't think you're doing anything wrong! Can I suggest what might be an unpopular opinion? I don't think $2500 for 4 kids is out of line. That averages just $625/year/child, or roughly $50/month. Yes, you certainly CAN cut costs in all the ways suggested, and they are great suggestions, but there are also a limited # of hours in the day! I have 4 kids, and the time that I need to invest in responsibilities from cleaning and cooking and errands to schooling and kids' activities and church, etc., etc. drastically cuts into the time that I have to search online to find and print and bind my own resources.

 

I'm not suggesting you don't cut corners if you can, just that you not beat yourself up over the cost. Honestly, $625/child/year would cover ~1 month of private school tuition, or 2 sessions of a sport, or, really, dinner at Applebee's for 6 once/month. It's not an outrageous sum. Preschool costs more than that! The average pre-K cost here is $140/month for 2 mornings/week (2.5 hrs each day) for 2yos, and the price goes up with age and number of days.

 

I am also on a tight budget, and I know we all need to use our resources wisely, but please don't be too hard on yourself if you are seriously considering your purchases and making them wisely. You owe it to your children to provide them with a good education - that doesn't necessarily mean $$, but it doesn't mean cheap, either! You wouldn't be happy if they were in a rundown traditional school lacking in resources, and the same should be true for homeschooling.

 

Btw, I budget $175/month for school ($2100/year) for 4 kids, and in addition to that I spend $ throughout the year on extracurricular activities (sports, youth outings), museum memberships, etc. as my budget allows.

 

Good luck!

 

Shelly

[Annie Laurie]

I don't think you're doing anything wrong! Can I suggest what might be an unpopular opinion? I don't think $2500 for 4 kids is out of line. That averages just $625/year/child, or roughly $50/month. Yes, you certainly CAN cut costs in all the ways suggested, and they are great suggestions, but there are also a limited # of hours in the day! I have 4 kids, and the time that I need to invest in responsibilities from cleaning and cooking and errands to schooling and kids' activities and church, etc., etc. drastically cuts into the time that I have to search online to find and print and bind my own resources.

 

I'm not suggesting you don't cut corners if you can, just that you not beat yourself up over the cost. Honestly, $625/child/year would cover ~1 month of private school tuition, or 2 sessions of a sport, or, really, dinner at Applebee's for 6 once/month. It's not an outrageous sum. Preschool costs more than that! The average pre-K cost here is $140/month for 2 mornings/week (2.5 hrs each day) for 2yos, and the price goes up with age and number of days.

 

I am also on a tight budget, and I know we all need to use our resources wisely, but please don't be too hard on yourself if you are seriously considering your purchases and making them wisely. You owe it to your children to provide them with a good education - that doesn't necessarily mean $$, but it doesn't mean cheap, either! You wouldn't be happy if they were in a rundown traditional school lacking in resources, and the same should be true for homeschooling.

 

Btw, I budget $175/month for school ($2100/year) for 4 kids, and in addition to that I spend $ throughout the year on extracurricular activities (sports, youth outings), museum memberships, etc. as my budget allows.

 

Good luck!

 

Shelly

 

Thank you for offering that! I really appreciate it. :grouphug:

[Annie Laurie]

1. How do you buy used? Everytime I look, I can't find what I need or it's bought up really fast. Do you have to spend the whole year searching for the following year's materials?

 

2. What do you all count as part of your hsing purchases when totalling it up? I'm wondering if this is kind of like grocery shopping, where some people count pet food and cleaning supplies as part of their grocery bill total and others don't. Do you count art supplies, planners for you, paper, pencils, hsing method/philosophy books, etc?

[Closeacademy]

I do what others do as well:

 

Streamline (we focus on language arts and math with everything else being gravy)

Buy used and sometimes even borrow if we only need it for a short time

Use the library

 

Buy curriculum that is used for multiple years like--Spell to Write and Read, Singapore Math (only need new workbooks every year), I am planning on buying the Rod and Staff Grammar book and I took huge amounts of notes on Composition in the Classical Tradition

 

The above allows me to create my own curriculum or bend the curriculum to fit the needs of my children.

 

I also use free things like lapbooks, notebook pages, ideas for science projects, coloring pages, worksheets, etc. that I find online.

 

:001_smile:

[TFJ]

I also try to do many of the suggested methods for saving money. I spend a lot of time researching the materials I am interested in to see if I continue to think I want to try them!

 

Having homeschooled one beginning to college and being midway with number 2, a few things come up for me: I don't actually feel like you are spending an outrageous sum per child. If you are finding the right materials for each individual child, I think that is a huge success! Remember, you can easily spend more over the years trying to make up for materials that didn't really meet your children's needs... because you didn't just get the right materials to start with!

 

Also, this may be unpopular, but I think that part of the homeschooling journey is trying different programs and learning what is the best match for an individual child. I saved many programs from child 1 for child 2, but they simply were not the right program for her. I had to let go of the idea that we had to finish materials just because I had invested in them. The bottom line for us is: do these materials provide a rich environment for our children and are they thriving? If I don't get a yes to those questions. I regroup!

 

Thank goodness for the ability to swap materials around, both in our community on on the internet!

 

TFJ

[KSGrace]

I just put everything that I want to use this year for my TWO kids on my Rainbow Resource wishlist and it came to over $1900!! Faint. I can't imagine how much I would want to spend if I had FOUR kids. LOL. That being said, I know I can't spend quite that much....or even close to that...so I will have to try to utilize the library as much as I can. That is about the only suggestion I have, use the library when possible.

 

Good luck. :D

[Johanna]

I have to force myself to stay off the "sale and swap" board when i know I have everything i need for the year!:001_huh:

[Jenny in Florida]

1. How do you buy used? Everytime I look, I can't find what I need or it's bought up really fast. Do you have to spend the whole year searching for the following year's materials?

 

2. What do you all count as part of your hsing purchases when totalling it up? I'm wondering if this is kind of like grocery shopping, where some people count pet food and cleaning supplies as part of their grocery bill total and others don't. Do you count art supplies, planners for you, paper, pencils, hsing method/philosophy books, etc?

 

1. Since the vast majority of the materials I use are living books, my first stop is used and discount bookstores. After that, I watch TWTM Sale board. I don't buy a lot used, to be honest. This year, I bought Latin Prep and Classical Writing.

 

2. There is certainly some of that going on. In this case, I thought we were talking only about "curriculum." For me, that doesn't count paper, pencils, books about homeschooling, etc. It might count art supplies and materials for science experiments, if those were integral to our curriculum plan for the year. For example, the year we did chemistry, I did count the chemistry set and the additional chemicals I had to purchase in our curriculum budget. And the year we did a series of hands-on, how-to art

lessons (using a free curriculum I found online, by the way), I did include the cost of the supplies for doing those projects.

 

However, in a year like the one we have upcoming, those aren't issues. My son will be doing a year of reading-based science, with some simple experiments we should be able to do mostly with those "common household items." He wants to take an art class through Florida Virtual School, but it looks like most of the projects can be completed with things we already have on hand.

 

My general rule of thumb about this is that I don't count as part of our homeschooling budget anything that someone who sends his/her child(ren) to school would have to buy, anyway. So, I don't know of too many households that don't have crayons and markers and drawing paper around, not for "educational" use, but just because that's something you keep stocked if you have kids.

 

I take a similar approach with outsourced activities and courses. If it is something that is completely or mostly taking the place of doing a subject at home, it gets counted as part of the "homeschool" budget. If it's something that schooled kids are doing or might be doing, also, in addition to school, then it's an extra-curricular and goes in a different column.

 

So, my son took a series of classes at our local science museum this past year that were specifically for homeschoolers and designed to be a full science curriculum. (We did continue to do some science at home, too, but they gradually crowded out some of the other things I had planned.) They got counted as part of our homeschool expenditures for last year. On the other hand, my son takes several dance classes a week. These take place after "school" hours, and he shares the classes with kids from public and private schools, as well as other homeschoolers. Those are "extras" and don't go in the homeschool column. Ditto with piano lessons.

[Tami]

There are so many ways to provide an excellent education for less $. It's not about what we HAVE, it's about what we DO. I don't buy things I don't need. I don't have oodles of curriculum sitting on my shelf -- I use what I have or sell. Resisting the urge to buy unnecessary items (sorry, curriculum junkies!) will save you $$$ and stress.

 

Here are some of my ideas:

 

Use the internet for classical music and art studies

 

Don't buy planned out curriculum when I can make up my own plans

 

Use programs that don't call for specific books, but can use whatever books happen to be at my library (SOTW, TruthQuest)

 

Buy used and sometimes older curricula editions (BJU Science sets sell for $20 or so if you get the older editions. The new ones are around $70+)

 

Don't buy books, CD's, videos I can get at the library

 

Use online resources like Ambleside Online, Veritas Press catalogue and the Sonlight catalogue to get literature ides

 

Use lots of notebooking instead of worksheets/Teacher's Manuals. Notebooks are better and cheaper.

 

Make my own review games instead of buying them. Homemade is better anyway.

 

 

Really, using the library can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. So many quality materials can be had for free. Buying used curriculum will also shave about 50% or more from the cost of new.

 

Saving money is fun and easy. I dig a challenge!

[SheWhoWaits]

I should say that I only have one child, and I'm sure that my expenses will be greater as she approaches high school. But $2500 is a lot of money; I'm not sure how I could spend that much unless I was outsourcing a whole lot of subjects.

Notice that she has 4 children. That's only $625 per child. That's really not a lot. I think she's doing pretty well.

[trisharog]

Tami,

 

Where do you find art and classical music studies online?

[Sandy in Indy]

I haven't read all the responses...but one of the best money savers for me is curriculum sharing. My best friend and I pass curriculum back and forth with great frequency.

 

I purchase used when I can.

 

The thing that gets me in high school is the outsourcing costs rather than the curriculum costs. And there are just some things that I'm not willing to tackle on our own...

[CarynB]

I haven't read all the posts either but a friend just recommended I join http://www.paperbackswap.com which I did and I've already gotten about 15 books I needed for this upcoming year, for much cheaper than even buying in a used store would have been. It's time consuming, but may save you lots of $$$ especially if you're using a literature rich program.

[Trivium Academy]

1. Knowing what is out there and if there are comparable programs with different price tags.

2. Weighing the cost of a program vs. creating something on my own.

3. Knowing what I have already, this really helps me in particular. I don't need three different books that have the same purpose but it does take time.

4. Buying used, on sale or with some type of discount.

5. Buying non-consumable products or using consumable products in a non-consumable way like having my child write their answers on a piece of paper instead of in the workbook.

6. Viewing our shelf space as prime real estate- if the book is only going to be read once, let the library house it.

7. Use free online resources for supplement material when I can, including free books online although I *have to* print them out to read them. Using audiobooks, seminars, etc.

8. Using BookMooch.com, bookcloseouts.com and other cheaper ways to buy books instead of paying full retail price.

 

THere are many little ways, albeit they are more time-consuming but in the end which do you have more of? Time or money? If money, don't sweat it. If time, you can trim the fat in many different ways.

 

:) Hope this helps