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Who else is spending a fortune this year?


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This is definitely our most expensive year! I'll have 5 school aged though. We also have a really crappy library so we have to buy all our books. I'm also mixing several different curriculas into our year (OM, SOTW, Sonlight). I also have a highschooler taking 3 classes w/ Landry Academy.

 

Dh & I agree it's worth it, but I feel guilty! This will be my first year not also working part time.

 

Anyone else spending a fortune this upcoming year? I know I can't be alone! :tongue_smilie:

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Nope you are not alone. I made a chart for my husband just the other day to help me decide between 3 very expensive options for my high schooler.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to make it all come together financially.

 

Sherri

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This has been our first year homeschooling, and we don't have much curriculum built up yet and also don't have great selections at our library. So, I'm possibly going to have to forego some of the things I wanted to do with the kiddos b/c we are running out of $$ for curriculum. Our homeschool association is having a used curriculum sale in June, so I am hoping and praying I can find some things for cheaper than online......:confused:

Paula

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Unfortunately I am in this crowd this year. This is after cutting my curriculum costs by changing things over $400. I have 99% of my curriculum next year (just need lit for dd5th and a couple uncle Eric books for dd9th) I still need to get science lab supplies (dd high school lab supplies, dd5th biology lab kit plus microscope)-- over $800. A friend is a science teacher at the high school here in town though and he said to ask the school because they may loan one to me for the year. Here is to hoping! :001_huh:

 

Are we spilling numbers or not??? :blush:

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Well I purchased my stuff for this year, after getting my tax back last year......And I am still not sure how I spent all those $$$, it just doesn't add up. So I would count this as a very expensive, not sure why year :tongue_smilie: This year after taxback, I will be watching every penny carefully, as really need to stock more "supplies" than curriculum (pencils, markers glues, I need to have a giant storage area in order to put a whole bunch of weird things) I'm guessing I must of purchased the new printer at that time and some other expensive things from the Office place, as just adding up the curriculum I purchased, it really makes no sense.

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Are we spilling numbers or not??? :blush:

I guess I'll share first, We're right under $4,000 and that doesn't count everyday supplies (pencils, markers, printer ink, etc) or shipping..:blushing:

 

And I don't even want to share how much my dad spent on Science for my 11 year old (he'll be teaching her).. :001_huh:

Edited by Another Michelle
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Yep, it's going to be a very expensive year.

 

So far, I purchased:

SL Core F used $300

Analytical Grammar with DVDs $150

Language Mechanic $20

Fallacy Detective $20

 

I'm still planning to purchase:

BJU Spanish with DVDs

STOW CDs

Word Roots CDRom

Handwriting

Phonetic Zoo Level 2

TT Algebra

LOF Algebra

Chemistry

 

Ugh. While I'm excited about the new material, I'm not excited about spending the money.

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Dh keeps asking if I'm done yet :eek:

 

I bought:

MFW's AHL

HOD CTC

Analytical Grammar with DVDs

IEW TWSS & SWI-B, Linguistic Development Through Poetry, Phonetic Zoo

Math Mammoth

CLE Math

Apologia Physical Science

Patty Paper Math

 

 

I still need Video Text Algebra (I'm hoping to find it used)

And a few books here and there that I still need.

 

I usually sell last year's curriculum to pay for or offset the new curriculum, but I made some bad choices and didn't have much to sell. :sad:

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So far I think next year will be less than this year (our first year). Part of that is because I bought a lot of "ancients" related stuff for this year, but decided to wait until next year to do it. So our history stuff is already bought. No more big "learn to read" programs for dd as she is reading. A lot of stuff will be passed down from ds to dd (AAS, Singapore math).

 

The main thing is that I am cutting down on their outside classes, which are the most expensive part of homeschooling for us.

 

Still I feel I'm ordering a lot as ds gets into more complicated curriculum. I'm trying to get things used and spread the purchases out. If I go for MCT that might be the most expensive thing next year.

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Ok, I know you are going to hate me. Here in NZ, we get $1300 per year from the government to pay for homeschooling supplies and activities for 2 kids. You get more if you have more kids.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

Hmmm DH keeps saying he wants to move to NZ. :D

 

We get nothing here in Aus (ok that's not true we get tons in family payments and baby bonus).

 

We can get a ton back at tax time for school supplies but I have to wait till DD is registered -which she isn't yet till she is 6 -so next year I get reimbursed :party:

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We are. Only because of ds who will be in 9th grade. I think I have about $200-$300 worth of stuff to buy for the two younger ones put together, and it would be a lot less if I didn't buy the fun history supplements that are on my list. They will be mostly using materials that I have left from the older boys, and I don't have to spend anything for math because I already own all levels of Math Mammoth. But I think 9th grade is going to cost almost $1000 between the correspondence courses and the extras (Spanish, Bible study) and the fact that the correspondence courses will cost an extra $200 over and above the regular course costs because we live overseas.

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Ok, I know you are going to hate me. Here in NZ, we get $1300 per year from the government to pay for homeschooling supplies and activities for 2 kids. You get more if you have more kids.

 

Ruth in NZ

I'm jealous!! Someone I know works with a charter and they get $1,000 per child! I've considered doing it but it's secular materials only and the majority of materials we get are not. You can't even get CLE Math or LA because it's a Christian Publisher. :glare:

 

We'll be buying:

SL Core B+C

SL Core G

Oak Meadow Ancient Civilizations History/English

Oak Meadow Highschool World History

Both of SWB's Highschool Books

3 Levels of CLE Math & LA

MFW 1st Deluxe Package

SOTW 1 & 2 Audio

All the Books for Otters Life Science

BF History of Classical Music

Lightining Literature Shakespeare

MUS Pre-Algebra

Life of Fred Books

2 Levels of WWE

Landry Academy Geometry ($562!!).. I'm half tempted to drop this and go with VideoText so at least I can hopefully reuse it!

Landry Academy Ancient & Middle Ages Art History- $600 when you add in the supplies! But this isn't something I'd be able to do on my own

MP Christian Studies

World Religions I'm putting together myself for my highschooler

First Form Latin

The Art of Arguement

 

Luckily my highschooler is taking Bio @ CC! I don't want to know how much those supplies would cost. :svengo:

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Last year was a big year, but because in addition to curriculum (including buying in advance what I knew we'd continue to use), I also had to buy some pricey equipment (microscope, computer, etc.). This year it isn't as bad - still expensive, but more manageable since I don't have much to buy for curricula, just some audiobooks and supplies really.

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I've spent about $1,200 so far. But this includes ~$200 towards some board games I consider "educational" :D (Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Agricola, Ticket to Ride, etc....all strategy-based...it makes the kids' brains work in a good way.)

 

The rest of the money went towards:

3 levels of ChalkDust Math (the cheap way)

WWS

CLE LA (4 grade levels)

Story Grammar - Sentence Composing

WRTR

Editor-in-Chief x3

Dover colouring books

a boatload of new & used books from our CMH booklist that will cover history, geography, literature,shakespeare,etc. etc.

 

I still need to plop down some serious $$ for BJU. We're trying out the Science Distance Learning DVDs for 4 different grades. So that'll be another $1000+

 

Oh, does purchasing an iPad count? :tongue_smilie: I didn't include the price of that...$500 for a refurb 32G iPad2.

 

Thankfully I have a dh who doesn't make me feel bad about spending the money. Sometimes he'll express surprise :lol:, but then I'd remind him how much private school costs, and that usually fixes the problem.

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Oh boy, I am not to the $1,000 mark yet, but I am higher than I have ever been this year. I have most of our core math and L.A. and history stuff on hand. But science, latin, spanish, logic, supplies, new printer, and books that our library doesn't carry that have to be purchased are killing me this year. I still have around $500 left to spend and that is after our core stuff that I already own :(

 

In reality, if I had to I could use what we have and the library and do a full year of school that would be comparable to P.S. But I want latin, spanish, logic, and science that I don't have to plan everything for this year . And latin is only going to get more expensive in the future when I foresee that I will be paying for online classes when she surpasses me....

 

I don't want to think about high school costs. It is only 4 yrs away. And having been hsing for 5 yrs now I know how fast it goes.

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We are at about $450-$500 with JUST current curriculum books. That doesn't include any extra stuff like encyclopedias and stuff that are new, but can be used year to year or any other 'supplies' for the year. It's spread out throughout the year since I buy at the homeschool store and online at various times though!

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Yep. This will be one of the most expensive years we've had and it could possibly get worse if my foreign language plan doesn't work out. Even though I've had a child go through highschool already there was such a huge gap that I got rid of everything (mostly) and am starting fresh with the next ds. Also, I can't sell any of my other curriculum yet, which would net a nice little sum, because my next child is so close in age that we will recycle it for him. My history sets will also recycle around again so I'm hanging on to them for the youngest dd.

 

I REALLY would like to find a used MFW AHL....hint! ;)

 

Our most expensive choices:

MFW AHL

MFW Creation to Greeks

Teaching Textbooks - 2 levels (Algebra II will be coming out this August with the automatic grading so I'm holding out for that)

Biology - lab equipment over $200 and I already have a microscope and tons of other supplies so it could be worse. This doesn't include 6th grade lab supplies.

We're going to be about $1500 without fees, school supplies, etc.

Edited by Penny from Tenny
I can't spell...
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Me! Me! Me! I'm saving all of my receipts so I can formally 'add up' this years homeschool investment...I'm nervous! Some how, with 3 students, opposed to 2, my expenses have more than doubled! I have 3 more subjects for each child and I'm easily near 1K. I keep reminding myself that I cannot put a price on my kids' education and in a public school I would have already exceeded this with field trip costs, book fees, lunch costs, material fees and gas to drive them daily:)

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Oh my, yes. Hi, my name is Rose and I'm addicted. It's not pretty.

 

I think I have everything I need to hs Miss P through the end of 6th grade at least. All I need to buy is Art of Argument, which we will start some time in the next two years. And I'm not even hsing Tiny Mo yet, we're afterschooling, but I've bought Beast Academy and Miquon and Cuisinare rods and base 10 blocks . . . I could hs about 6 kids concurrently with the math materials I have. I only have two kids!!!!:blush:

 

It's partly that I'm a planner, so I'm thinking ahead to when Tiny Mo is hsing full time, and I have tentative plans all the way through hs, and when I see a great deal on something I know I'll want I want to snatch it up . . . and I love getting the packages, and reading all the books, and learning new things myself, and learning how to teach better, and . . . and. . . and. . .

 

Yep, I'm officially obsessed. I love homeschooling!

 

Lucky for me my dh likes to go hunting . . . and fishing. . . and sailing . . . whenever he starts to ask me about how much I'm spending on hs materials, I say "Not as much as on hunting/fishing etc.!" Sadly, I don't think that's true any more . . .

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Yep *gulp*

This next year is shaping up to be our most expensive yet! We've got dual enrollment slated for our oldest that will run us aprox. $1000. This is still a bargain as we're able to tap into some state funding. She will be taking 6 credits in the fall and 9 in the spring. We had to get under and accredited umbrella school in GA to access the state funding. That has run me $480 so far.

Luckily #2 and #3 don't need many books next year as I've already got most of them from prior years. She did choose a different FL than her older sister though, so that'll be $$. My total book list so far is coming at about $600.

 

We also belong to two co-ops. Our favorite was forced to raise some fees last year as the church we meet at wanted more $. One co-op will run me aprox. $400 for year, plus books. The other is more reasonable and I expect to pay about $125.

 

So, I expect to be at aprox. $2600 for next year, which is SKY high for us.

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We're up there too for the fall. I'm adding my K'er to the mix of what will be next year 2nd grade and 5th grade. I switched over to TOG so have those initial costs. I do use the library a lot though to keep the cost of the actual books down. Plus, I don't have the storage space to store all the books TOG uses.

 

I use a charter too. I get $700 per kid per year. It is not as great as it sounds. I too buy some Christian items, which can't be purchased through the school. A lot of theirs are barcoded too, so I have to return the materials at the end of the year. I do that for some, but others my kids want to keep so I need to fork over the cash for those myself. My charter will cover a zoo pass per kid and such, so I often use my dollars that way. The kids next year are considering each taking some classes at the charter, which will wipe out 75% of the money to pay for those classes, even though it is only one day a week. If the scheduling works out, I'll do that though, especially for Spanish as I'm not a native speaker and the teacher there is a native speaker.

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Me. Though I nickel and dimed myself to death....then looked at what the total came to in my budget. Eeek! I really need to stop now. I do think I am about done though, so that is good.

 

Even worse, though - we got so far behind in the last 2 years, I didn't even have to buy a core curric for anyone this year....and still somehow spent a ton.

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Ok, I know you are going to hate me. Here in NZ, we get $1300 per year from the government to pay for homeschooling supplies and activities for 2 kids. You get more if you have more kids.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

That's fantastic! Here (in BC, Canada) you get nothing, as far as I know - maybe $150 if you're in a friendly schoold district, but I found an umbrella school who'll give you about that amount for each child in grades k-9. I'm HOPING by the time my littles (oldest is in K lol) are in highschool they'll have expanded the age range!

 

So, $1300 for K may be considered a fortune. It's going to pay for things like soccer and gymnastics, for trips to the aquarium and the zoo, as well as the usual supplies and curriculum materials I "need" for K. At this point, with my first homeschooling child, I feel like I can easily buy that much stuff. But once my younger is in school, I'll have $2600 as well as a stockpile of materials. . . sigh. What a problem, right? :lol: Maybe I should consider "buying ahead" for highschool. Especially science materials, from what I'm reading!

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Yes, I don't know why I thought homeschooling would be such an economical alternative. It's all starting to add up...

 

I know people who pay $11K/year to put their children through private school kindergarten! That sum could pay for a whole year of college! :tongue_smilie: That always gives me perspective! My costs seem tiny in comparison.

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Here is our breakdown for this year. (2 kids K and 2nd grade):

 

Purchased at Convention:

Horizons 2 (only student books) $66.03

Positive Action Bible K and 1st $27.00

Rainbow Resources (random supplies for Saxon math) $26.84

Rainbow Resources (Planner, more supplies for Saxon) $19.01

Honey Tree $5.02

Rod & Staff K $28.37

TOTAL: $172.27

 

Bought online (here and Homeschool group):

Story Of The World $30

Apologia $40

Saxon 1 $30

TOTAL: $272.27

 

Previously Bought with Tax Returns:

Horizons K (phonics and math) $121.56 + $55.96

TOTAL: $177.52

 

GRAND TOTAL for 2 kids for 1 whole school year: $449.79

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I'm jealous!! Someone I know works with a charter and they get $1,000 per child! I've considered doing it but it's secular materials only and the majority of materials we get are not. You can't even get CLE Math or LA because it's a Christian Publisher. :glare:

 

We'll be buying:

SL Core B+C

SL Core G

Oak Meadow Ancient Civilizations History/English

Oak Meadow Highschool World History

Both of SWB's Highschool Books

3 Levels of CLE Math & LA

MFW 1st Deluxe Package

SOTW 1 & 2 Audio

All the Books for Otters Life Science

BF History of Classical Music

Lightining Literature Shakespeare

MUS Pre-Algebra

Life of Fred Books

2 Levels of WWE

Landry Academy Geometry ($562!!).. I'm half tempted to drop this and go with VideoText so at least I can hopefully reuse it!

Landry Academy Ancient & Middle Ages Art History- $600 when you add in the supplies! But this isn't something I'd be able to do on my own

MP Christian Studies

World Religions I'm putting together myself for my highschooler

First Form Latin

The Art of Arguement

 

Luckily my highschooler is taking Bio @ CC! I don't want to know how much those supplies would cost.

 

 

:svengo:

 

 

With all that have you looked at TOG? :) I just switched over because my shelves looked (kinda) like that with my three!

 

Now that I have TOG I am spending less in the long run. Right now is a little more, but I will be able to reuse down the line and not pay nearly as much.

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I buy throughout the year so the cost is spread out. It seems to help? I pick up things other than curriculum though to do crafts and help keep the younger kids busy. I also will buy ahead if a good deal pops up. Or an older version of a SL core becomes available like it did this week :)

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