Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 We are rethinking the way we do things. Currently, we plan to set aside a certain amount per month for school supplies, but usually what happens is when I don't need anything, I allocate the money somewhere else, and when I need more, I take from somewhere else. We are thinking of setting aside money from our taxes instead. My normal budget has me using $100/month, but like I said, I'm not consistently setting that money aside. So, I'm thinking of putting $1200 from our taxes into a separate account. Approximately $400 of it would be for co-op expenses for all 3 of my children and the other $600 would be for curricula and supplies for 2 of my children. Is it realistic to assume I can get curricula and supplies for $600? Or should I set aside more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 At your kids age yes. SOTW, math mammoth (assuming you bought all the PDFs) are already sunk cost. Science supplies are mainly household items and relatively cheap. Math manipulative can be expensive or cheaply made. Foreign language materials are not pricy and can be shared by your two oldest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 Hmmm... I need to change my signature... :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 For your kids' ages? Absolutely. I don't spend that much on high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 It depends on what you are using. Unfortunately for us, some of our curriculum is specialized for dyslexia or remediation, and those materials cost $$$. Similarly, ds is a builder and a lot of his electronic supplies are not cheap. So what we do is add up what I spent yearly the last couple of years and divide it by 12 to give us a better picture of what we are actually spending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth rose Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 yes, that is about what I plan on spending next year for 2 kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Yes, I think that is very possible, especially if you have a great library. I have managed to get some great deals and have been given a fair amount of the stuff. I want for free, but even still, I don't think I would get to $600 for two kids next year. Possibly if I get IEW instead of WWS for my sixth grader, maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I would suggest putting your curricula plans in a spreadsheet, with prices, and calculate how much you'll need. Everyone spends different amounts, and it largely depends on how much you use the library, whether you need any special programs, and how much work you want done for you. There is sometimes a trade-off between money and time (though not always). Also, I recommend padding your estimate a bit too take into account changes you may need to make during the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I would suggest putting your curricula plans in a spreadsheet, with prices, and calculate how much you'll need. Everyone spends different amounts, and it largely depends on how much you use the library, whether you need any special programs, and how much work you want done for you. There is sometimes a trade-off between money and time (though not always). Also, I recommend padding your estimate a bit too take into account changes you may need to make during the year. That is a good idea. I could put everything I plan to use, and if we change course, I'll just have to try to stay within the budget. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't already done this. I'm usually a list/spreadsheet gal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'm not feeling too well today, and my brain is more than a little foggy. That being said, wouldn't you have $800 for curriculum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'm not feeling too well today, and my brain is more than a little foggy. That being said, wouldn't you have $800 for curriculum? That's how I read it, too. Did we miss something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I'm not feeling too well today, and my brain is more than a little foggy. That being said, wouldn't you have $800 for curriculum? That's how I read it, too. Did we miss something? I am assuming OP is leaving a buffer of $200 for all other homeschooling expenses :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Busted! My current budget has me putting $50/month aside for school curricula and supplies, while $35 is put aside for our co-op. The $1200 is actually more than I currently have "budgeted," and for some reason I got that $600 stuck in my head. I really do mean $800! But that has to cover EVERYTHING: books, art supplies, printer ink, paper, science experiment items, etc. Based on everyone's responses, though, it does seem like this should be doable. I just have to sit down and figure out how many Moving Beyond the Page literature units I will need, as that will be a tad bit pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heritagelearningacademy Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Well, let me throw a wrench in. LOL :crying: I think it probably depends on what you are using for curriculum. I know I will have spent more than that on 3 kdis for next year. Of course, I have a junior high student so that means my stuff costs a little more in the things I have selected. I realistically will spend about $1300-1400 on curriculum. Plus, I spend about an extra 500 a year on books, ink, paper, etc. Now, I buy books. Our library is limited and I do not want to have to always be going. The convenience factor is worth it for me. And, I also purchase new. (I have some OCD issues. :o ) I guess what I am saying is not to be surprised as your kids age that some of your expenses may increase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Well, let me throw a wrench in. LOL :crying: I think it probably depends on what you are using for curriculum. I know I will have spent more than that on 3 kdis for next year. Of course, I have a junior high student so that means my stuff costs a little more in the things I have selected. I realistically will spend about $1300-1400 on curriculum. Plus, I spend about an extra 500 a year on books, ink, paper, etc. Now, I buy books. Our library is limited and I do not want to have to always be going. The convenience factor is worth it for me. And, I also purchase new. (I have some OCD issues. :o ) I guess what I am saying is not to be surprised as your kids age that some of your expenses may increase. I will keep that in mind. I'm sure our co-op fees will increase, as well. For now, I think I can do it for this, but I can always change it in the years to come. And I can work extra to cover further expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Good news! I went through everything my girls are going to be using in the next year (hopefully!), and it came out to $575! That leaves the extra $225 for science supplies, art supplies, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 That sounds great! I always price things out when we get our tax return. We spend about $1000 for both girls, no co-op, and not counting supplies, etc. It's definitely doable with less, but we also don't have a great library system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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