Anyone mind sharing what you spend on books in one year

[julie4]

I hope this isn't a rude question, just wondering if anyone would mind sharing what you spend for books for 1 school year. This is our first year so just curious if I'm at the high or low end.

 

I found about 80% used and just placed my order for the final things on Rainbow Resource and Amazon. I spent $900 total for 3 kids and that includes maps & a globe. But does not include other supplies.

 

Thanks,

Julie

[Farrar]

A lot less than that. Not including workbooks and books that are purely for pleasure, probably closer to $150 or so. But we have a great library and that makes a big difference. If I had to buy every book we used, it would easily be more than $900.

[rdj2027]

So far well over $1000. We pulled three of our children out of ps in March so I have nothing from previous years. They all have very different learning styles and are at different levels so teaching them together would be very hard. I still have a few hundred dollars worth on order but most items will be used for at least two children over a number of years so in the end the cost will even out. I also splurged on teacher manuals and solution keys as well as having a couple of different materials for each subject (i.e. AoPS Intro to Algebra and Paul Foerster Algebra1).

I buy materials for them though as much as I buy them fir me :-)

[Guest]

I think our first year was around $1,000, between curriculum, child resources, manipulatives, and teacher resources and books.

 

We have spent close to that each year since and I only have 2 kids. :tongue_smilie:

[jar7709]

I am a book junkie. Always have been. My kids are also shaping up that way, and our local library is mediocre at best, so homeschooling has provided me the excuse to go way overboard. :blush: OP, if I could cut it back to $900/yr that would be a great thing.

[deerforest]

We use the library a lot more than when she was younger.. I was noticing that this past weekend when I was clearing out our bookshelves. I do buy books that we truly love after testing them with the library copies. I've become a fan of buying used particularly since many of the ones we end up loving are out of print.

 

But, we have access to 4 decent county/town library systems, and one of them is particularly spectacular.

[plmzk]

I was wondering the same thing.

This is our first year as well. I am not doing too much, and I love getting things used. I know I have spent about $400 on our school books and math (Right Start) which was over half of that. I too am hoping to use most of the things for more than one child. We currently have one in 1st grade, one K and one 2.5 and one more due in Oct. so I am hoping to useat least RS for all of them.

We are bilingual and are doing Russian as well. Reading, and writing. I bought books for that too.

[LAR]

I also utilize our library as much as possible, but this year I'm around $750 for books/curriculum. Our major costs are the activities (co-op, science classes at an aquarium, state park science classes, math club at a museum, chess and spanish) which is close to $1,500. Then tack on extra-curriculars which run a few thousand total for both girls. Even though I'm no longer working, I still feel that this is a bargain since we started homeschooling after being in a private Montessori school for 3 years. We can fund our entire homeschool program (with tons of extras) for the cost of 3 months tuition.

[fraidycat]

I love books so way more than I *need* to. I'd say probably around $1000, maybe a little more, but I'm including readers - fiction for the kids.

[Farrar]

Wow. You guys are making me feel cheap. I do spend a lot more on pleasure reading... especially graphic novels for the kids, which are an expensive habit, but I can't seem to not support it.

[rdj2027]

We are bilingual and are doing Russian as well. Reading, and writing. I bought books for that too.

 

Yeah, that! For German I use German as a foreign language materials used in schools over there. Not the cheapest way to go but for us those books work best. They also attend the German Saturday school here so there are books for that as well.

[2queens&1princenmyhouse]

I spent $265 on all new texts, journals, etc. for 2 kids. Then I probably have close to $100 in supplies, maps and manipulatives for the youngest. I'm still eyeing The Reading Lesson for DS and it's about $20. So, less than $400 for all three kids.

[jar7709]

Wow. You guys are making me feel cheap. I do spend a lot more on pleasure reading... especially graphic novels for the kids, which are an expensive habit, but I can't seem to not support it.

 

I have a hard time deciding which books are "curriculum" and which books are "pleasure" so I lump it all together. Yeah, that's my excuse! ;)

[Meriwether]

I have a hard time deciding which books are "curriculum" and which books are "pleasure" so I lump it all together. Yeah, that's my excuse! ;)

 

It would be impossible for me to draw a line between the two. I spent thousands - upwards of three, maybe four on books this year. Most of that is on real books- not textbooks.

[Farrar]

I only counted books that were for things we're studying, reference books or books that are educational, books I'm trying to push on the kids or reading aloud, and textbooks. I buy nearly everything used. It's pretty clear to me what's pleasure reading... nearly everything, but that's okay - and even then, it's a lot of library books here.

[Yolanda]

Well, I don't like owning books. Just don't like stuff, so I'd rather do library books.

 

When dd was younger (she's now in 5th grade) I hardly spend $100 a year. I was always doing what was in the freebie boxes and used curriculum and whoever was giving away 'but I had to come pick it up now', that's what we did.

 

But I've purchased things along the way that we are using this year and I'd say it's about $150--and that's using Apologia, SoTW and Beyond FIAR, MM, AAS, R&S Eng. they were just good deals I scoured around for in the last years.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Yolanda

[iafrmgrl77]

It varies for us from year to year. Our first couple of years, I spent probably 700-800 dollars. The past couple of years, I kind of had what we needed and didn't spent a whole lot. This year, I am changing almost everything. I haven't tallied up yet what I've spent, and I'm not looking forward to it! Pretty sure I've spent more this year than I have in the past.

[Kathryn]

Just on curriculum for ODS and extras I buy st the same time for when YdS uses them, around $1200. If we add in books in general and other things like math manipulatives, double that.

[hsmom2011]

Roughly, $1000 for 2 kids. :tongue_smilie:

[PollyOR]

$1,000 easy. Actually I would guess I spent way more than that per year. But then... Borders went out of business :crying::nopity: and then ... I promised DH that I wouldn't buy anymore curriculum. What was I thinking?:svengo:

[Meriwether]

I only counted books that were for things we're studying, reference books or books that are educational, books I'm trying to push on the kids or reading aloud, and textbooks. I buy nearly everything used. It's pretty clear to me what's pleasure reading... nearly everything, but that's okay - and even then, it's a lot of library books here.

 

Dd9 has read/is reading 5 books in the past 48 hours (she needs to finish the 5th one up). The two Nancy Drew books - not school. The Bible Smuggler and River of Grace - school. The historical fiction book about the Huguenots - I don't know. It's not that I can't see a difference between the math book and the Dora book. I just wouldn't be able to decide where on the continuum to draw the line - so I don't. My figure includes textbooks, workbooks, audiobooks, books, magazines, puzzles, games, manipulatives, project materials, etc. The single greatest category is books (picture and chapter). I have thousands of used books, but unless I get lucky at a garage sale or buy a lot on ebay I usually buy new from Amazon.

[4Hisglory]

We're at around a thousand a year. WAY more than when I first started with ODd. We probably spent around a hundred a year. She did amazing with what I bought but I am glad we are doing "richer(as in chocolate cake)" curriculum now. When she hit 8th grade our yearly cost went up quickly and now a thousand a year seems very reasonable. We checked the cost of a local private school and it would be more than a thousand for one month for my 2 school age DC.

[amyrobynne]

I've spent about $900 on all school-related stuff and expect to spend about $30/mo on field trip type activities. This is my first homeschooling year and I have a 1st and 3rd grader. Everything that I can borrow from the library, I will, and I got everything else possible used. But it still adds up. I don't have too many consumable workbooks so I figure that even if this is our only homeschooling year, a lot could be resold.

 

I felt better about it when I didn't pay the $1400 tuition/fees bill that came for their former private school (and that was heavily subsidized).

[Forgiven]

We're at a little over $1500 right now. I also just bought a color laser printer yesterday (sh! don't tell my husband yet. LOL), but not sure if that counts as costs for school...I can split the cost between school and Thirty-One (I'm an independent Consultant) I guess...either way, we're in for a lot.

 

BUT, save all your receipts. We use them to show costs for schooling. When my kids were in private school, we were alloted a certain amount of their tuition back each year when we filed, so we keep all receipts. Last year, our first year of homeschooling, we were able to deduct the max amount for schooling costs.

 

I was talking to a friend who's been homeschooling for five years and she had no idea that you could claim school costs on tax returns. The look on her face when she found out! So keep that in mind when spending this money. It's an investment on your childrens' lives, and unless you're buying needless things that won't be used, every penny is worth it, in my opinion (as long as you can afford it--There are things I want to buy, but haven't because we are on a budget).

 

And when I compare what I used to pay in private school tuition versus what we pay in curriculum and fees for homeschool groups and field trips, we're spending so much less now! And the best part is that my relationship with my kids is so much better! (not due to how much I spend on curriculum, mind you, but becasue we're homeschooling in general) ;)

 

Unless you're driving yourself into the poor house due to the amount of books you're buying for school, I say go for it. My husband may have a different opinion, but he doesn't count. :tongue_smilie:

[ByGrace3]

We had a $1,000 curriculum budget this year. I went way over, mostly from buying books for history. Dh asked how much I spent, and I responded "how about if I promise to never spend that much again we can agree to not add it up." He never asked again. :lol::tongue_smilie:

[Forgiven]

We had a $1,000 curriculum budget this year. I went way over, mostly from buying books for history. Dh asked how much I spent, and I responded "how about if I promise to never spend that much again we can agree to not add it up." He never asked again. :lol::tongue_smilie:

 

LOVE that!

[boscopup]

About $1000 this year for 2 kids, but that's buying the books we were going to read. I do better if I have the books on hand, rather than relying on the library, which may or may not have it, plus someone else might put it on hold while we have it.

 

I'm still using the library, but that's for non-required books. If we get to those books, great. If not, no worries.

[Ewe Mama]

It's really hard for me to calculate because I try to buy ahead in case we have a leaner year. This is my total for all school-related purchases this year (including ink, paper, manipulatives, science experiment supplies, school supplies, books, downloads, etc). We are at about $1500 total for five children. I think that's pretty reasonable.

 

I'm calculating from January of this year, as we school year-round.

[Ewe Mama]

We had a $1,000 curriculum budget this year. I went way over, mostly from buying books for history. Dh asked how much I spent, and I responded "how about if I promise to never spend that much again we can agree to not add it up." He never asked again. :lol::tongue_smilie:

 

Or you can look at it as a promise to never spend that particular amount again, but you never promised the amount would be lower! :tongue_smilie:

[kristi26]

I've spent around $350-400 for sure. I can't even tell you the exact amount. :lol: Let's see...DH gave me $180 to put in the online account...I had $30 in there already....then we added another $100...then I sold some things and used THAT too...minus $100 of that for the rest of our co-op payment...so yeah...I'd say it was probably around $350-400.

 

I bought lots used online and at several book sales that were local to me. I also found things that I'll use in future years and there are a bunch of things that I should probably just sell as I'm not going to use them probably...plus I have tons more that I'm planning to get out at our local library (if I had to buy all of those books too, I'd be spending closer to what you did for sure).

 

ETA: Oh yeah! That's mostly just for the older 3 though I did find a few things for the "baby" who is 3 and doing some preschool stuff this year.

[ByGrace3]

Or you can look at it as a promise to never spend that particular amount again, but you never promised the amount would be lower! :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol: somehow I don't think that would go over well! :lol: truth be told I bought ALL the books for 2 literature based history curriculums because I changed my mind.:glare: Then decided, well there is overlap so I should just keep the books...and of course I have littles, so we will get here again! :blushing:

[twinmami01]

I budgeted $1200 for 2 kids this year. I did splurge a bit but I feel better knowing we have everything and won't have to worry about running to the library or not having the needed supplies. I would rather cut back in other areas of our budget to be able to get everything we need and some wants as well.

 

I also figured I could resell our curriculum and get back about 1/3 of that to go towards next year's curriculum.

Edited August 10, 2012 by twinmami01

[BatmansWife]

I went for 15 years trying to keep it around $400-$500 a year for 3 kids. That all changed last year and I can now spend $3,500 on 2 kids. This year I have .31 left. But, I should add that this isn't my money so it's not out of our pocket like it always had to be....so that is one major, major difference.

[MiniBlondes]

This is our first year so we had nothing. I think I've spent around $1200 but I've changed my find several times as well. I suspect that every year will be similar, honestly.

[2_girls_mommy]

On books:

R&S half price sale last Oct (can't really remember the exact total) but it was under $50. But we will just go with that.

 

friends of the library sale: $20

 

HS convention, various venders: $130

 

Memoria Press order: $120

 

Usborne order: $30

 

Barnes and Noble purchases that I remember: $25

 

School supplies over summer: $50 (maybe more if you count ink and printing!)

 

books and supplies I still need for this year: $120

 

So I am around $550 for books this year. I use the library a lot.

 

If you add in co-op and museum passes so far that would add another $170.

 

Then there is the scouts, which adds costs throughout the year, but nothing huge at once.

 

Then there will be field trips and fees for various contests and activities that we will enter.

 

All in all we stay under $1000 it looks like, unless I am forgetting something, which I am sure I am :)

[Hakg]

I would have to say closer to $2000+ but that is because I purchase most things from the US and postage to Australia is a killer.

[tammyw]

:blushing:

 

Way too much. I would be afraid to figure it out honestly. We use the library a lot also, but we are all addicted to books.

[Kathryn]

We're at a little over $1500 right now. I also just bought a color laser printer yesterday (sh! don't tell my husband yet. LOL), but not sure if that counts as costs for school...I can split the cost between school and Thirty-One (I'm an independent Consultant) I guess...either way, we're in for a lot.

 

BUT, save all your receipts. We use them to show costs for schooling. When my kids were in private school, we were alloted a certain amount of their tuition back each year when we filed, so we keep all receipts. Last year, our first year of homeschooling, we were able to deduct the max amount for schooling costs.

 

I was talking to a friend who's been homeschooling for five years and she had no idea that you could claim school costs on tax returns. The look on her face when she found out! So keep that in mind when spending this money. It's an investment on your childrens' lives, and unless you're buying needless things that won't be used, every penny is worth it, in my opinion (as long as you can afford it--There are things I want to buy, but haven't because we are on a budget).

 

And when I compare what I used to pay in private school tuition versus what we pay in curriculum and fees for homeschool groups and field trips, we're spending so much less now! And the best part is that my relationship with my kids is so much better! (not due to how much I spend on curriculum, mind you, but becasue we're homeschooling in general) ;)

 

Unless you're driving yourself into the poor house due to the amount of books you're buying for school, I say go for it. My husband may have a different opinion, but he doesn't count. :tongue_smilie:

 

There are only a few states that you can claim homeschooling expenses for taxes.

[2_girls_mommy]

We can't claim anything for our taxes in our state...

[Lily_Grace]

Let me see.....

 

$130 - Integrated history unit study with student pages (LA, Geography, History, Social Studies, Fine Arts)

$55 - Math book

$50 - Science pdfs

$50 - other math book

$30 - literature and books to go along with the unit study

$60 - Jackdaw (multiply that by 8 for the school year)

 

$375 Total so far, or much more for the year by the time we're done.

[Chibby]

My dd is only 3, but I'm already using extra money that I earn and some of my Christmas money for hs stuff (is that sad? lol) and there will always be educational gifts for her for B-day and Christmas.

 

I have been researching and pricing stuff for about 7 months now (it's my new hobby). I will be heavily relying on the library for literature, audio books, an online language program, and Bob Books. Even so, I could easily spend $1000 on her first grade year. BUT, a good majority of that would be on programs that will last for more than one year and more than one kid, like Math on the Level ($300), which is pre-k to prealgebra, and reference books. I am really holding myself back b/c I have been able to find some awesome things at yard sales and on forums like this one where I know I can find good quality stuff that's gently used for cheaper than new.

[Carrie12345]

I think I hit $1,000 this year. I know I could have shaved some off of that, but I don't always get the chance to splurge, so I took it while it was there!

 

That was for 3 kids, K, 4th, and 5th.

[shanvan]

:blushing:

 

Way too much. I would be afraid to figure it out honestly. We use the library a lot also, but we are all addicted to books.

 

This is my answer too. I'll say that I'm more apt to spend on things that save me time now than I was when we first started b/c I just don't have as much time as I used to.

[channell07]

I have 1100 budgeted for everything. I think actual curriculum will be about 350 (K) the rest will be craft stuff, a cheapo laptop so they aren't using mine where my whole life is stored =), supplies, and field trips.

[Canadianmumof5]

A LOT! More than any of the amounts that I've seen others post here :o

 

But we don't use our library so I buy pretty much all of the books that we need. There is hardly a week that goes by without something showing up in the mail from Book Depository.......

 

My kids all LOVE to read so I don't mind investing in them.

[BlsdMama]

Give or take, about $2,000 is scheduled for this school year; However, it is divided among seven kids and not all in one swoop.

 

E.T.A. So my curiousity got the best of me and I decided to go look through my past orders...

I'm apparently a liar and all I can say is that my last twelve months from Exodus alone topped that. However, in my defense, I figure some of that was LAST year's and some of it was THIS year's books. Plus, I sell anything I can't or choose not to use... So I think my original estimate is close.

Edited August 10, 2012 by BlsdMama

[melmichigan]

I'm afraid to add it up, and I still have history books to purchase using my prime shipping as we go. :auto:

[Forgiven]

There are only a few states that you can claim homeschooling expenses for taxes.

 

Aah, I wasn't aware. We claim them on our Federal taxes, so I just assumed everyone could. Luckily my friend that I recently told that to lives in the same state as me.

[Ewe Mama]

:lol: somehow I don't think that would go over well! :lol: truth be told I bought ALL the books for 2 literature based history curriculums because I changed my mind.:glare: Then decided, well there is overlap so I should just keep the books...and of course I have littles, so we will get here again! :blushing:

 

 

You must be my long lost sister! I can't tell you how many times I've done this. :lol:

[boscopup]

Aah, I wasn't aware. We claim them on our Federal taxes, so I just assumed everyone could. Luckily my friend that I recently told that to lives in the same state as me.

 

Um... You may want to look at the tax law and make sure you're doing that right. All I can find is deducting them if it's a medical expense, and I imagine most of us are not homeschooling for medical reasons. Same goes for private school tuition. You can't deduct tuition on your federal taxes unless it's a medical expense, from what I can find. School teachers can deduct classroom purchases as business expenses up to a certain amount (that is fairly small), but that's different from homeschoolers.

 

So I'd be curious where you are deducting this. :confused: I see this from HSLDA as of Jan this year:

 

http://action.hslda.org/issue/tax-policy/

There are no federal tax breaks for homeschooling, but some state and local laws offer relief.

The most common question that arises in the context of homeschooling and taxes is, “Can I write off educational expenses?†The answer is, “It depends.†Unfortunately, in most cases, the answer is no, but in a few select jurisdictions, homeschoolers may be able to take advantage of tax credits offered by their state’s laws. There are no federal educational or teacher tax deductions or credits that homeschool families can use.