What is your KG budget?

[mohop]

I know everyone's is different, but I am just wondering if there is a "typical" range. And I would include only those things that you most likely would not have bought but for the fact that you are homeschooling (as opposed to sending your child to an outside school for KG).

 

In addition to yearly curriculum expenses, do you have a monthly budget (official or not) for school-related expenses?

[lea_lpz]

Hmmm....we spent about $500 last year and this year for both kids curriculum (preschool / K : preschool / 1st). This is with "extras". I think this'll be about right for us most years. Giving a break down on individual kids is hard because there is overlap with what they use, but I suppose I spend less on material specifically for the preschooler since he joins his older sister for his core (last year mfw k, this year it'll be mfw 1st).

 

As far as a monthly budget, when we initially started homeschooling, I would buy about $20 of stuff probably every week from Michaels or Walmart, mostly office and arts & crafts materials, but that is mainly because we were just getting started and didn't already have a lot if that kind of stuff. Now I rarely have to buy office / craft supplies because I have a good inventory and generally have all I would need and some for a given craft.

 

I would say at this point we might spend about $20-100 a month, but none of it is necessary. We might be studying jewels and rocks and buy a $20 crystal growing kit because we want to add it to our study, or we might decide to make a trip to the zoo with Daddy on his day off when studying wild animals over the course of a month, so that would be more costly, but not necessary. Like during the garden study, we planted a garden, so that was costly, but something we'd have done anyhow :). So, if we don't have the extra money we just don't get "extras". Also I use the library for the bulk of our topical studies. Lots of the stuff we do is stuff we'd likely do anyway, like go to the zoo at least once a year or plant a spring garden, but as homeschoolers are family activities take a but of an academic slant.

[prairiewindmomma]

$150ish for consumables for a K'er. We already have a decent home library, art supply stash, and basic homeschooling necessities (toner, paper, etc.). The consumables are generally math, critical thinking materials like Developing the Early Learner, science kit stuff, and a few things that child considers "cool". Previous k'ers in our family have requested things like their "own" binoculars and a guide book, high end art supplies & an easel, robotics kits & star wars books, etc. I'm anxious to see what my 4 yo picks out....I'm guessing she's going to ask for more prepared slides for the microscope, but we'll see.

[ondreeuh]

Math:

• Singapore US ($80 new) or Math Expressions ($75 used on Amazon)
  
• Miquon Red ($5.50) + Lab Sheet Annotations ($13.50 ... carryover from K4)
  

 

Science:

• Evan-Moor Daily Science 1 ($30 - TE e-book)
  
• Usborne Science Activities books 1-3 ($12 used)
  
• Sonlight's Discover & Do K-2 ($60 new ... I am getting them for $50)
  
• Whole bunch of science books ($100 ... many from thrift stores & book sales)
  
• Evan-Moor Giant Science Resource Book ($20 ... carryover from previous child)
  
• Sonlight Science A&B activity sheets ($26)
  

 

History:

• Story of the World vol. 1 and activity guide ($37 ... carryover from previous child)
  
• Classical House of Learning Literature (free!)
  
• CHOLL literature ($75?)
  
• Evolution/prehistory resources ($50)
  

 

Language Arts

• Scholastic books $5
  
• McGraw-Hill LA 1 (free for printing)
  
• PAL writing ($45 ... carryover from K4)
  
• AAS ($35?)
  

 

That's about $535 if I was buying everything now. Thank goodness I have some of this stuff already. I actually get an allotment of $1700 to spend ... I will be signing him up for lots of lessons!

[plath]

I don't count art supplies because we're a crafty family, but maybe $100?

 

Singapore essentials A $10 from RR (may need to also buy B )

Oak Meadow curriculum purchased used- $50 for Syllabus, $10 for craft book, $10 for fairy tales

Explode the Code 1 $9 on amazon. (But I used a gc)

 

Random science books I've picked up at scholastic dollar sales, thrift stores (for. 25) and library sales

 

And various early readers from the library

[Mom2TheTeam]

I don't have a budget. *hide*

 

But, for my first child, I spent about $250 for K...oh wait, no it was more like $350. I forgot about a lit package I bought later to go with our K program. I use MFW K. For my second and subsequent children, about $100 per kid...maybe less.

 

I don't know what I spend monthly. Not much. I stock up at Costco and don't buy things monthly, just whenever I need them which isn't that often. :)

[Ecclecticmum]

I have no idea.......lol. Obviously I have a budget, and I have one time a year where I pick up the curriculum, but I use the money from my tax return, and there is always money left over (which is used to get office supplies, kids underwear etc).

 

I just tend to go, I like this, and this and this, and add it all to the cart, look at the final amount...gasp in shock, fall of chair, then pull many things out of cart, look at other websites, and finally once I have a non-heart attack amount in there, and am happy, purchase it LOL.

 

My daughters Kindergarten year cost about $1500 including extras, but that was my first year homeschooling and I went mad. Bought way too much stuff rofl.

 

C's K year will probably cost me repurchase costs (50% of normal) for SL P4/5 + LA K guides, plus a few extra dollars for other subject and extras. E's K year (haven't really looked much into it yet) will probably be cobbled together from stuff I already have, so only a couple of dollars for extras.

 

I've only just started to find the niche we fit, and still adjusting slightly, so hopefully another year and we'll be in our circles (till one of them jumps outside theirs of course :p ).

 

I would say PK & K are the most varied years, depending upon the persons style. From $0, to a couple of dollars, to the cost of a book, to a couple of different resources eualing about $100-200, to a box package like SL with lit ($250-400), upto something like Calvert w/ATS

 

So if you are wanting an average it would be somewhere round the $719 mark, but its only an average in that thats the middle between free ($0) to Calvert ATS. ($1,438).

 

Most people would either suggest no formal learning (or perhaps just concentrating on phonics, and maybe math) until 1st, or keeping it simple & cheap.

[craftyerin]

Well, I didn't budget ahead of time, but this is what I spent, roughly:

 

Singapore Essential A&B (x3 kids) $60

FIAR vol. 1-3 (also used in PK and will use in 1st) $105

Zaner bloser handwriting (x3 kids) $33

ETC 1 (x3 kids) $21

ETC 1.5 (x1 kid) $7

ETC 2 (x2 kids) $14

 

just under $250 for three kids in K(ish). Not too shabby!

 

I also spent plenty on other randomness, but that's our main core stuff. We bought some books for FIAR, we check some out of the library. I'm sure we've added to our math manipulatives this year, and educational games, etc. But I don't really count that stuff. I'd buy books, games, etc if I was homeschooling or not. Same with school supplies and art/craft supplies--Id' buy them anyway. We pay for a homeschool group that we do PE and some field trips, etc with. We also take an insanely expensive (but worth every penny) music class, and we do swim school year round.

[Gentlemommy]

For my first K'er, it was an obscene amount. Simply because I wasn't sure what I was doing lol. With my second dd, it's been remarkably inexpensive because I have a lot of non consumable stuff left over from dd1. We will be doing CC, but since I will tutor, their tuition/my paycheck is a wash. This year I got for dd2-

Miquon-I bought all the workbooks from used curriculum sales (they were new) for about $3. So for this year, $1 spent on math. I have the TB from dd1.

LA-we are working through Phonics Pathways, left over from dd1. She will also need ETC 2, which is right around $10 new, if I don't find it at the last used curriculum sale in a few weeks. We have a million readers, most bought from thrift stores/used book sales, and most bought for dd1. I do pick up books for the kids whenever I find them at a good price, so I'll budget $20 per month for pleasure only books per month. We do handwriting ala WRTR, which I bought for dd1 for $1 at a HS sale.

History-she tags along with dd1, doing SOTW and extra lit. I spent about $80 on the SOTW book and the extra books, so I'll count $40, since it is for both kids.

Science-at this age, it's all discovery based and interest led. We have a huge home library with lots of science books, we go to the barn a few times per week, they spend hours outside daily, we have passes to the science center.

Literature-again, huge home library, most books bought for $.25-$.50 used. I'd probably have just as many books if we weren't HSing. I'm a big bookworm and surrounding myself with books is something I'd do anyway.

 

[Walking-Iris]

For K, usually way less than 100. This year was different because my ds really likes science and I bought a set of ScienceWorks Level k-1 and some used science books (Everybody Has a Body, Mudpies to Magnets, and Private Eye). But with my oldest science was informal nature study and exploration play and reading library books. So getting that science really upped my K budget last year.

 

I bought consumables such as HWT, ETC , and the two SM Essentials math books. I got the OPGTR for phonics. Most of this I bought used from Amazon. Those are workbooks I'll buy again when my dd is ready for them.

 

I already had nearly all the manipulatives i needed from my oldest and I DIY some others. A few K Scholastic 1$ ebooks. But that's it.

 

My K budget for my dd when she is ready will be even less I expect since I already have all of the materials and then some freebies and some thrift store finds in waiting for her. Just the workbooks.

[Coco_Clark]

I spent :

 

50$ on a religious program (but then again would have purchased it anyways since my public school obviously doesn't)

20$ on BOB early readers (found used, I would have otherwise used the library's)

10$ on WWOT workbook and chalkboard (I bought the chalkboard at the dollar store and made the other manipulatives)

15$ on cuisinare rods (which added to dominoes, dice, and board games= kindy math)

0$ on books because we go to the library 2x a week

 

So 55 dollars? Add in art supplies and I'm reaching 100, but again, I would have wanted plenty of art supplies anyways. Like others have said, you can do Kndy for nothing or you can spend a lot. I tend to DIY manipulatives, buy used, find sales, and use the library, because I have more time than money. :).

 

This year for first grade I'm adding in SOTW ancients and workbook, an animal encyclopedia for Science (zoology this year) and Singapore for Math. So I will probably go over 100$, but that's my general goal- 100$ per child. Thankfully everything my preschooler needs for his first year is hand-me-down from big brother, so I actually have 200$ to spend on my rising first grader. That's the beauty of reusable materials.

 

 

[Coco_Clark]

Double post

[FromA2Z]

500.00

 

I started buying things a while ago so far:

 

RSA (used) - 85.00

LoE Foundations (beta testing) - 50.00

FIAR 1-3 + books & bible supplement (mostly used) - approx 150.00

Elemental Science - Intro to science + kit & used books - 95.00

My 1st Piano Adv. - $20.00

Homeschool Classes at Zoo - 70.00

Artistic Pursuits - The Way They See It (used) 25.00

 

The good thing is that most everything is completely reusable for my next ones. Only reprinting cost & minor workbook replacement costs(under $25.00).

 

This doesn't include bed-time read alouds and art supplies, etc.

 

[boscopup]

If I were to buy new for the next kid that does K, it'd be:

 

Reading: Phonics Pathways - $20

Math: Singapore Standards 1A/1B (mathy kids) - $80 (we use Singapore EM K at age 4, and that's only $20)

Handwriting: Pentime 1 Book 1 - $5.50

library books

 

If I was teaching a kid that was at K level at age 5, it'd be less than $50. K is definitely the cheapest year in my house, as I only have the 3R's plus read-alouds. I don't start history/science/grammar/composition until first grade.

[mohop]

It's so interesting to see the variation! And, yes, I imagine it makes a difference whether you are buying materials for your first child or not, as a lot of the pre-K/KG stuff is reusable.

 

I also don't really have a "budget" set, and am just making lists of things I want to buy and use (we won't be making any purchases until later this summer), and was interested in seeing how it compared to what others use. I do think having an actual budget would be good, so I don't keep thinking about other things I want to buy! So far, it looks like I might be in the $200-$300 range for everything (including things like binoculars and bug boxes).

[SereneHome]

Oh lordy lordy - I have a category in my general budget of art/learning supplies - I "budgeted' for the year ~1300, I have no idea where I am, I can't look or I will probably faint.

 

I don't distinguish between curriculum and art supplies and various "learning" stuff (like I got them bug boxes and binoculars and nets to do "nature" exploring) that is all included in that. Also things like puzzles and board games are all in this category. Music CD included also.

 

I am slowing down, though. I am pretty much done with official curriculum for my oldest (almost 5yr ) for next year and I will be using things I already have with my 3 yr old.

 

Last year was worse bc I was buying random things without actually having a plan. I feel better this year bc I have a plan.

 

I also stopped buying random "art" stuff from Oriental Trading Company or ACMoore. Yes, I am definitely getting better. Or so I hope :)

[lea_lpz]

Let's see the actual break down....

MFW 1st Deluxe package-$259 (all can be reused, just by consumables for $50)

Big Thoughts for Little People -$12 (for ds /preschooler)

Dino lacing cards-$6 (to add to mfw preschool package we already)

Rod & Staff workbooks-$35 (preschooler)

Wisdom with the Millers-$7

La Clase Divvertida Level II kit-$125

Every Day Graces-A Child's Book of Good Manners-$18.45

Little Annie's Book of Good Etiquette and Good Manners-$9

 

A little under $475 without tax / shipping, so about $500 if I remember.

 

 

 

[Mergath]

I have no idea. I pick up a lot from the thrift store, where I've found twenty or thirty dollar books for fifty cents, so overall I haven't spent very much. If I bought everything new, it would have been several hundred dollars. As it stands, I think the only thing we'll have to buy new for next year is AAS1. I did buy BFSU new, so I could add the ten or fifteen that cost. And that's not including gymnastics, of course. Which makes dh almost faint from the cost, lol. And I did spring for Laying Down Rails or whatever it's called to use secularly, and that was another forty. Good grief, this stuff is expensive. I've decided I really don't want to know how much I've spent so far.

[NavyMommy]

The main thing I'm thinking of getting (and will probably have to get new) is AAR1. I bought the pre-level but it's way below where DD is so I need to start moving things along before she gets bored!!

 

I will probably also get a used Saxon 1 book. She's really advanced in Math and starting Saxon K was really boring for her so I've been making it up as I go along. I need to go through and figure out what lessons we need to hit to finish out that and get Saxon 1 on standby.

[MeaganS]

It's hard for me to say because I've been buying things for years in preparation. I also am mostly continuing with programs that we started with preK. But if I was starting right now and only counting stuff I wouldn't have bought otherwise and will be using this year, then:

 

OPGTR: $20

Miquon: $30

C-rods: $17

Base 10 set: $17

Abacus: $12

Kitchen Table Math: $15

Math Mammoth: $12

AAS: $60

Whiteboard (for AAS): $17

HWT: $40

BFSU: $5

Living Memory: $15

Various iPad apps: $40

Botanical Garden children's program: $60

Classroom calendar: $30

Art prints: $15

World wall map: $12

Various books/audiobooks: $60

*CC Timeline cards (not sure if I'm buying yet): $100

Misc. other: $50

 

It's a lot if I add it up like that, but almost all of that is reusable and I will reuse for my next three, and lots of it will be made good use of over the next several years.

 

 

 

 

[Seeking Squirrels]

I don't have a strict budget, I just try not to go too crazy.

 

Singapore 1a (tb,wb,hig) - $45 (Will order b when we get close to it, so probably $90 for the year)

SOTW 1 & AG - $34

HWT K - $23

Building Thinking Skills Primary w/ attribute blocks - $44

Teacher FileBox account - $70

DK first space encyclopedia - $12

MSB body and space kits - $30

 

We already have and are using some things that will carry over and be used in our K year, so if you count those things as well:

 

DK first body encyclopedia - $12

Miquon w/ lab notes & crods - $46

SL P4/5 - IDK, around $250? (I bought used through ebay and amazon, but I don't remember my totals. We've been using this a little while, so I don't know if it will last into K or not. I'm not getting A, but will be using it as a booklist)

 

So total I'm spending as I make my new year purchases this month: ~260, including what we have and will be using: ~$570. (Though obviously some of that second number was also included in my preschool planning, so an accurate amount is probably somewhere between the two.) Not counting basic art supplies or all the things I buy here and there. I always hit up target's dollar section and seasonal section for holiday crafts and activities.

[BarbecueMom]

I think I spent around $350 on curriculum, books I couldn't get from the library/used bookstore, and a few supplies. I've probably spent $75-100 on things I've added since - prehistory timeline, more books, more c-rods. I still need to refresh a few art supplies, get some binoculars for nature study, and DS asked for a telescope (might make that a birthday gift). And the book wish list grows every day...

[Jackie]

DD is doing a blend of pre-K and K stuff right now. I buy things throughout the year rather than all at once and haven't added it all up, so this may put me in sticker shock...

 

We've bought three sets of Bob books so far: $45

RightStart level A, deluxe kit: $180

A big stack of Kumon fine motor skill books: about $50 total

Critical Thinking Company workbooks: $65

 

$340. I'm thinking of getting one of the deals on the Magic School Bus science club, and that would add $120 to the total. Ok - not cheap but still not in sticker shock, actually. Just don't ask me to figure out what I've spent on art supplies!

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I don't really have a budget and I haven't even decided exactly what I'm doing with my kindergarten dd next year. She'll do some things we already have, tag along with her older siblings for some things, and I'll get a few new things, too.

[shawthorne44]

One thing that makes the question tough is what would I have bought anyway? I can totally see myself buying attribute blocks, the Building Thinking Skills, Math. Reasoning books and a zoo membership even if we weren't homeschooling. But. maybe if I weren't so in love with teaching my child, then those wouldn't thrill me so much.

[Meriwether]

I spent around $650.00 on everything I need for four kids, but around 1/3 of that was for a two year program that we use for K and 1st.