What is a parents cost to use brick and mortar schools?

[BlueTaelon]

I'm serious, dd7 missed the bus AGAIN and I'm seriously debating HS'ing her just based on finances alone, stuff we don't really tend to think about. So add to my list!

 

Lost sleep, because I have to wake up at 4am to turn on the heat, we can't afford to run the heat all night and why should we when were toasty warm in bed?

 

Adds to the Elec and oil heating bill because were up an additional 3-5 hours a day. On non school days I refuse to get up before 7am, more likely I'm going to sleep until 8 because I'm sleep deprived. Thats about $17mo in additional oil fuel and an extra $35 in Electric.

 

Cost of gas to take dd7 to school because if I have a working car I take her. The bus comes at 6:40am and school does not even start until 8:10am. I value my sleep and that extra 2 hours is important, especially when I'm not getting to sleep until midnight or later most nights due to issues with dd13, thats 280 miles a month or $37 in gas for my car.

 

School lunches, we qualify for the free lunch program but as my dd is gluten free the school refuses to feed her citing they can not safely feed a single GF child, nor can the school budget afford it. (yes I know they are required to, don't really feel like rocking the boat) Its a small school with about 100 kids K-12 and she's the only GF child. They cook from scratch at the school so there is flour every where, every day. They refuse to heat up a lunch I send and dd won't eat cold left overs, dd has no interest in soup in her thermos every day. So cost of a bagged GF lunch? Around $60-$100mo depending on what I send, usually a sandwich, fruit, protein snack and a carb plus a bottle of water, at the rate she loses them I just buy a case of bottled water every month. I don't want her drinking out of the germ fountain which brings me to my next thing.

 

Illness! Unless the kid is very very very sick they want them there so they can share it seems. We are sick ALL THE TIME with crap she brings home. We've been sick more this school year with her attending the local B&M then we have been in the past 5 years COMBINED. Being sick usually means a Dr visit since both kids have asthma and it loves to flare. Illness brought home from school, average cost $10-40 mo for gas/Dr/cold meds

 

So for us with just these costs alone were looking at $159-$229mo. I only bring home about $800mo plus we get food stamps.

 

I didn't even calculate the extra cost of needing more clothes and heavier winter gear since she's outside a lot more.

 

When I break it down like that we can't afford public school. The only benefit is its free daycare as she's a handful and my mother won't watch her while I'm at work and I need to focus on dd13 and her issues right now, dd7 is one of those kids who does stuff to get reactions out of people and dd13 performs every time:(

 

What other hidden costs are there I'm probably not thinking about?

 

 

 

[SKL]

Actually, I think B&M school is a good deal financially for most families, since it allows the parents to work without paying for daycare.  If you're home anyway, or if your kids can fend for themselves, it might be less of a deal.  Nowadays, where I live, the financial and time demands on the parents have gotten rather ridiculous - it certainly is not "free" any more - but it's still cheaper than having to pay child care or quit our jobs.

 

Some of your costs would not be factors for me.  Where I live, you don't turn off your heat at night, if you like running water.  :)  And if my kids didn't go to B&M school, they'd spend more, not less, time outdoors.  Thankfully we don't have the GF and athsma issues.  That would be a bummer.  But I do pack their lunches, because the school menu is terribly unhealthy.

[EmilyGF]

You use a lot more heat and electricity if everyone is home all day. There is also a lot more wear-and-tear on everything.

[BlueTaelon]

You use a lot more heat and electricity if everyone is home all day. There is also a lot more wear-and-tear on everything.

 

I'm home anyway at this point since I have no car to get to work, I will likely not be returning more then 1-2 days a week due to dd13's issues.

[vonfirmath]

Actually, I think B&M school is a good deal financially for most families, since it allows the parents to work without paying for daycare.  If you're home anyway, or if your kids can fend for themselves, it might be less of a deal.  Nowadays, where I live, the financial and time demands on the parents have gotten rather ridiculous - it certainly is not "free" any more - but it's still cheaper than having to pay child care or quit our jobs.

 

Some of your costs would not be factors for me.  Where I live, you don't turn off your heat at night, if you like running water.  :)  And if my kids didn't go to B&M school, they'd spend more, not less, time outdoors.  Thankfully we don't have the GF and athsma issues.  That would be a bummer.  But I do pack their lunches, because the school menu is terribly unhealthy.

 

agreed that a lot of these costs seem particular to your family.

 

We have a programmable thermostat that automatically changes the temperatures at set times. But it isn't a matter of turning the heat on or off. its a matter of changing the temperature set by a few degrees.  We ride the bus. (pick up at 6:50 for a 7:20 start time. Not bad at all). But I have to drive to work anyway so I can drop DS off on the days (like today) where its too cold and I want to do him the favor of not waiting 5-ish minutes (Usually) for the bus.

 

We eat lunch at school because its cheaper than I can pack for right now. (reduced. I can not pack a lunch for 40 cents a day!)

 

I have not noticed an increase in illness since he started school

 

There have been a few nights that we have had to run out and get supplies in a hurry. Not many . 2 or 3 over a year and a half. And of course having to buy clothes he can manage himself because I'm not around to do and undo the snaps on his pants after going to the restroom -- but probably that's for the best anyway. A few coats left behind at school because I'm not there to pick up after him. One library book lost (So far)

 

All other costs have been voluntary. Fundraisers I chose to participate. A school T_shirt I bought for him. Activities. Etc.

[Library Momma]

It seems to me that the costs you mention would balance out with the homeschool materials you would need to purchase.  Either avenue would cost money.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

If you could solve these problems

1. 13yo dd keeping you up past midnight every night, and
2. Younger dd not willing to eat cold lunch or soup from home, and

3. Younger dd needing warmer clothes for standing at the bus stop,

all the other financial issues seem to go away for dd7 to go to school. I don't know why #1 is true but I hope it gets better. #2, she could just join the ranks of a billion children around the globe who don't love their lunch but eat it anyway, and #3 possibly asking at school would get some help? Our local schools work with various organizations to get warm clothing and school supplies to children in need.

[Pawz4me]

Depending on what type of heat you have, it may be significantly less expensive to leave it on at night, or only turn it down a few degrees, versus turning it off.  I know our heating bills would skyrocket if we turned ours off every night and had to completely reheat the house in the a.m.

[Arcadia]

My kids can walk to any of the three elementary schools nearby so no cost of school bus.  Hubby can drop them off on the way to work if he wants to. 

My older actually cost more to feed now that we school at home than when he attended B&M school. My older would either eat his pack lunch when he was in school or go hungry.

They go out on weekends anyway so the warmer clothes are already a sunk cost.

My kids get the bug from going out anyway so it does not matter whether they go to school or school at home. 

 

if my kids needed to take the school bus, then it would have been less than $300 per year for each child and free for children under reduced/free lunch.

 

The optional costs of going to B&M is

- rental of band instrument if you are in the school band, fundraisers too.  There are some PTA funds to help pay for those who cannot afford.

- field trips cost of about $20 each time. Those on free/reduced lunch do not need to pay while the rest are encourage to pay.  No one will be denied just because a parent opt not to pay.

- school supplies which again is optional by law but most parents will supply at least their own kids supplies.

- class photos and yearbook are optional.

 

Since my kids are too young to say home alone, there is a "loss of income" cost to me staying home as I couldn't find a work from home job.

 

If you pull your 7 year old from school, what would be the cost of babysitting? 

[Carol in Cal.]

Depending on what type of heat you have, it may be significantly less expensive to leave it on at night, or only turn it down a few degrees, versus turning it off.  I know our heating bills would skyrocket if we turned ours off every night and had to completely reheat the house in the a.m.

 

I can't make sense out of this.  What kind of heat do you have that works like this?

 

[Above The Rowan]

I can't make sense out of this. What kind of heat do you have that works like this?

 

AFAIK, just about any heating source will require more energy to reheat a cold house than it takes to just maintain one steady reasonable temp. Particularly if its sufficiently insulated, helping it to keep the heat in. We have electric heat and our bills would be ginormous if we continually turned the heat on and off completely every day. Same when I had gas forced air heat.

[Carol in Cal.]

AFAIK, just about any heating source will require more energy to reheat a cold house than it takes to just maintain one steady reasonable temp. Particularly if its sufficiently insulated, helping it to keep the heat in. We have electric heat and our bills would be ginormous if we continually turned the heat on and off completely every day. Same when I had gas forced air heat.

 

No, heat loss is proportional to the difference in temp you are trying to achieve/maintain.

So the lower the delta, the lower the expended energy.  That's why I'm not following this.

[BlueTaelon]

Depending on what type of heat you have, it may be significantly less expensive to leave it on at night, or only turn it down a few degrees, versus turning it off.  I know our heating bills would skyrocket if we turned ours off every night and had to completely reheat the house in the a.m.

 

We only heat the rooms we use and not the entire house. No way could I heat this entire place:) I leave the oil heater on 50 since thats the lowest it will go to keep the pipes from freezing and turn it up to 62 in the morning while were down stairs. The temp drops rapidly as soon as you turn it off/back down. Gotta love 100+ year old drafty houses, can't wait to move! Unheated rooms drop into the upper 30's. Thankfully upstairs tends to stay around 58/60 at night if you heat it up to 70 with a space heater before bed which takes about an hour. Thats as low as my poor bones can handle.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

No one has mentioned school taxes as a hidden cost, which you pay regardless of using the schools or not.  Here that's about 6 grand a kid, and can go to triple that in some towns (but NJ is stupid about school taxes).  HSing costs go on top of what you already pay to live where you do, so HSing will always be more expensive that way.

[BlueTaelon]

AFAIK, just about any heating source will require more energy to reheat a cold house than it takes to just maintain one steady reasonable temp. Particularly if its sufficiently insulated, helping it to keep the heat in. We have electric heat and our bills would be ginormous if we continually turned the heat on and off completely every day. Same when I had gas forced air heat.

 

 

Thats assuming sufficient insulation, this house doesn't really have any so the heat does not get held in. I know there is R19 in the sub floor between the first and 2nd story but I really really doubt there is any downstairs. The walls are freezing when you touch them and I know there is none in the floors, its carpet, padding, boards, freaking cold stone and pier foundation thing with 2 ft of dead space open to the night air. Thankfully the kitchen was redone several years ago and it was insulated so I hung thermal curtains in the doorway and its easily a 20deg difference between the kitchen and the hall. Most of the homes here are old and not well insulated. I want a place like my parents, can't remember its the entire house is R60 or R70, I just know its built to maintain 60F at -65F outside I think the chart said. Their house is always toasty warm, they paid a fortune though for that custom built place though:)

[Pawz4me]

I can't make sense out of this.  What kind of heat do you have that works like this?

 

 

Heat pump.

 

From Energy Services Group Heat Pump Tips:

 

Raising and lowering a heat pump thermostat will actually raise your bill because it forces the more expensive back up to come on when it would not normally be needed.  So be sure to set your thermostat on a comfortable temperature and not move it.

 

From Energy.gov:

 

Do not set back the heat pump's thermostat if it causes the backup heating to come on -- backup heating systems are usually more expensive to operate.

 

FYI, back-up heat (often called heat strips or emergency heat) will typically come on whenever there is a two degree or greater difference in the room temperature and the temperature set on the thermostat.

 

Personal experience in three homes (all new and well insulated) tells me the above advice is very true.  Although if you have a programmable thermostat then it is probably less expensive to turn the heat down at night, as the thermostat will raise the temperature slowly enough so that the emergency/back up heat won't come on.  But I'm guessing few people have the patience to get up early in the morning and raise their home's thermostat that slowly themselves.

[Carol in Cal.]

Oh, sure, if you have two systems, one more expensive, and use the more expensive one more it will cost more.  That's just straight economics.  But from a thermodynamic standpoint, if you have only one heating source with a constant energy price, turning it off and then reheating from scratch is generally cheaper than leaving it on all the time.

 

Where this can get interesting is if you have two heating systems, or if the energy price varies.  So, for instance, electric heat with a smart meter can be very expensive or very cheap depending on how you manage your timing. 

[justasque]

1. I second the suggestion for a programmable thermostat.  Perhaps your energy company has discounted ones available?  Home Depot has them as low as $20, though of course you can spend a fortune on a fancy one.  The energy savings should pay for it in no time flat, and the convenience is wonderful.  Getting out of bed into a cold house is no fun!

2. If daytime heat is a financial issue, consider spending afternoons at the public library, doing homework.  This works for homeschoolers or public school families.

 

3. Can you meet the bus at a later stop?  If my dd misses her bus, I can take her to a stop mid-way, which gives us more time to sleep and saves on my gas and time.  I do have to drive a bit (rather than using the nearest stop to which she can walk) but much less than if I take her the whole way to school.

4. I don't know the issues with your teen, but eventually some teens are fine if mom heads to bed before they do.  Having the thermostat begin to cool the house at bedtime can encourage her not to stay up too late.  I also turn on soothing music (Pandora's Yoga station is nice) to help create a relaxing environment that helps us wind down.

5. Consider refilling the water bottles your dd *does* manage to bring home.  If you use each one even twice, it cuts the cost in half.  Think outside the sandwich box!  Veggies to dip into hummus, plus yogurt and fresh fruit makes a yummy cold meal and doesn't require any special (expensive) GF foods.  Provide a snack after school if lunch isn't quite filling enough.

6. Consider what else you can do to combat the asthma.  Is it the type where ripping up the carpet, decluttering, vacuuming frequently, etc. will help?  It's not unusual for kids to get sick when they start attending school, but it does usually let up eventually.

7. I have gotten great deals on quality cold weather gear on eBay.  We also have a thriving hand-me-down system.  Today's everyday winter clothes are often not made for cold environments (oddly!), but layering can help with that.  A good base layer makes all the difference.

I hope you can find the right educational environment for each of your kids!  Good luck!



 

[Lori D.]

Here's a very low-cost room heater idea I'm dying to try out, using tea light candles and cheap clay flower pots.

[Ravin]

We are planning to send DD to a charter school next year. There will be lunches to pack (no cafeteria), a $300/yr activity fee, school supplies, and gas on days we don't get her there on public transit. Overall it will probably cost more than homeschooling does.

[VeteranMom]

I've had my kids in PS and at home.  Home is definitely more expensive.  When I started homeschooling, I tried to tell myself I was going to do it affordably.  Ha!  Now, I get the curriculum that is best for me to teach and the kids to learn.  I try to look for used items, but these days it seems you don't save a whole lot buying items used.  Also, tried to tell myself that I would check out books from the library. The problem is that I'm not organized enough to return them on time and often end up with late fees.  I figure by the time my kids graduate the library will have to name a wing after my family, since we will have funded it with all our late fee payments!  :laugh:

     

[My3girls]

For us, homeschooling was more expensive this year, because we just started. However, next year will be less and so forth and so on because I will be able to reuse a lot of our resources and I have figured out how to make the piddle little library we have more useful.

 

PS costs for us were school supplies at the beginning of the year for about $100 per kid, clothes (don't know exactly but a lot), school lunch was abut $30 a week for all 3, extra project crap starts in 3rd grade and ran us about $30 per year per kid, and the school nickle and dimed us for fall festival, parties, year books, field trips, etc...

 

The best reason to homeschool other than the education they receive is the calmer mornings! How I hated having to get up so early and fight to get the girls up, fed and dressed. Dd8 takes a while to wake up and doesn't want to eat until she's been up for an hour so. Mornings were just a nightmare. Now, I can get up when I am ready to and give the girls a little time to get moving before we start. The next best reason is I don't have to wait for them to either get home on the bus or sit in school traffic to pick them up. Everything had to be scheduled around when they got home from school and was such a pain.

 

All that said $$ really isn't a reason to homeschool them, because you can save or spend in either environment.

[Dmmetler]

Is the VA an option for your 7 yr old? If you keep her home, that would reduce the out of pocket costs of homeschooling. I've heard parents say it's a lot of busywork in the primary grades, though.

[Pen]

In terms of direct $$ cost, you would probably not save much. You can homeschool largely using the library and used materials, but there will still be some costs and there will still be lunch and so on, though it might be somewhat less cost at home. Clothing may be less cost if you do not have peer pressure issues to deal with at home, or loss or theft of clothes at home which might happen at school.   For us, all of those costs you mention have been less, but I have bought curriculum new and some of it was expensive--then again, some of was specific to special needs that bricks and mortar schools were not meeting.

 

You might be able to do a charter public school from home, in which case your child will be technically a public school child, but some of the materials may be provided, while otoh not needing to deal with the in school illness, gluten, and so on issues.

 

What would be different at home would be that you would not have the huge cost in terms of wear and tear physically with regard to early rising, sleep deprivation, illness and so on. That was true in our case, where also we had to get up extremely early, I would get sick from things brought home by my son, and so on.  There is also more time for him to help with chores and other things around the house, and we can do meals both less expensively and more healthfully, and without the stress of  packing a lunch in advance, remembering to take it, to clean out the lunch pail upon return, and so on and so on and so on. 

 

I think this aspect of less stress and greater healthfulness, along with that my son is getting a better education at home, clearly tips the balance in favor of homeschooling for us.

[OneStepAtATime]

Food bill went up.  Heating and ac bills went up.  Cost for materials to homeschool went up.  But that was our situation.  

 

I have a friend who just pulled her kids out because their school had the same policy as yours, unless the kids are on death's door, they are required to come to school and if they are not at school, the parent and the kids get harrassed by the school.  She has tried to fight this, but after spending a fortune on doctor visits, and all the required "extra" materials the school keeps asking parents to provide for their kids, she added it up and decided that she could probably break even homeschooling since she works from home anyway and I have a lot of leftover material she can use.

 

If you don't have a reliable car anyway, would there be something you could do from home to earn income?  And the lack of insulation seems a huge problem.  Any way to add more?  Or move?  Fixing those issues might be cheaper in the long run than trying to homeschool right now....

[mamaraby]

And the lack of insulation seems a huge problem. Any way to add more? Or move? Fixing those issues might be cheaper in the long run than trying to homeschool right now....

This was what I was going to mention. OP - do you rent or do you own? If you own your o,e, you might want to look into weatherization programs in your area. In our case, because of our income, we were eligible for a program that added extra insulation and installed new mechanicals (furnace/air conditioner) for a 10% contribution on our part. There were other programs for people who made less that covered the costs of weatherization in full. Some of these progrms have shrunk or drasticaly changed since then, but it might be worth looking into.

[BlueTaelon]

This was what I was going to mention. OP - do you rent or do you own? If you own your o,e, you might want to look into weatherization programs in your area. In our case, because of our income, we were eligible for a program that added extra insulation and installed new mechanicals (furnace/air conditioner) for a 10% contribution on our part. There were other programs for people who made less that covered the costs of weatherization in full. Some of these progrms have shrunk or drasticaly changed since then, but it might be worth looking into.

 

We rent, we are planning on moving when I get my tax return, this place was litterally the only place available in the area we needed to be in so my parents could watch the kids while I work. I'm hoping to find a lower rent with better insulation:) If we can drop it $100mo I could stay home, were that close to having basics paid, it just leaves no room for emergencies and what not.

[Lori D.]

Two or three or these flower-pot heaters in the room make the temperature go up by 5 degrees Celsius during the daytime! I was rather skeptical when someone recommended it to me, but it works!

 

 

Ooo! Now I've got to try it! Thanks!

[shawthorne44]

Where I live, you have to add the cost of parent's taking time off work to "volunteer" in the school.  Theoretically, it isn't required, but your kid isn't going to be allowed into any of the optional programs without it.  So, no G&T which is the only way to get even a mediocre education from them.  Or sports teams, or band, or ...

[vonfirmath]

Where I live, you have to add the cost of parent's taking time off work to "volunteer" in the school.  Theoretically, it isn't required, but your kid isn't going to be allowed into any of the optional programs without it.  So, no G&T which is the only way to get even a mediocre education from them.  Or sports teams, or band, or ...

 

My kid got into GT without me volunteering. I filled out the paperwork at home. The teacher filled out paperwork. He tested and he was in. The volunteer work I have done -- the first stint of which was AFTER I discovered he'd made it into Gifted and Talented-- has been entirely at my own choice and not because i felt I had to in order to get benefits for my kid.  Since I can't homeschool (for now), I try to be as involved as I can be in my kids' education, the same way my dad was in ours.  I think I had a fairly good education, despite being public schooled.  And yes I'm aware the schools are different now.

 

Yes, I'd have done more/gone further in homeschooling. But 1) that really wasn't a thing at the time and 2) My mom wasn't the one to do it. No interest and not naturally inclined to teaching. (She got out of the profession as fast as she could).

[Library Momma]

Where I live, you have to add the cost of parent's taking time off work to "volunteer" in the school.  Theoretically, it isn't required, but your kid isn't going to be allowed into any of the optional programs without it.  So, no G&T which is the only way to get even a mediocre education from them.  Or sports teams, or band, or ...

 

 

I've never encountered anything like this.  It almost seems illegal.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I've never encountered anything like this. It almost seems illegal.

Nope. Everything has an added fee, too - sports, band, etc - in those districts that tend to have their budgets voted down and/or state aid cut. It happens in NJ.

[almondbutterandjelly]

Hidden costs:  School supplies!!  They really nail you on school supplies at our ps.  Probably $100 on the basic list, and that doesn't count extra projects and whatnot.

 

Birthday presents for the now once a month birthday parties you get invited to.  That's about $15 a month.

 

I second the food expenses.  I have a food allergy kid, and it can be much more expensive to feed them for school than at home.  Plus if the class is going to have cupcakes or do some food activity, that's extra money to find an appropriate substitute so my kid won't feel left out.  It can really add up.

 

I totally agree with the ILLNESS.  They really don't want the kids to stay home and keep the illness to themselves.  (Actually, your medical costs seem a lot better than ours would be.)

 

Sleep deprivation is a big deal.  My kid got WAY less sleep when in ps than when we homeschool.  It can't be good for them, plus it lowers their immune system's ability to fight the rampant illness.  Also, it's much harder to deal with stressful situations when you are not getting enough sleep (Mom).

 

Clothes can be an added expense, especially if uniforms are required, because then you need two sets of clothes because who is going to wear their uniform the rest of the day once school is out?  If no uniforms are required, then it often becomes about being trendy or having the same shoes as the other kids and such, which can get expensive.  Not saying that trends don't affect homeschoolers, but your daily appearance doesn't need to be a fashion show at home.

 

Best of luck in your decision!

 

 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

It's a political tactic. They do it here too, then parents raise the money and we have the program.  The economy picks up, the assessor goes around and ups the home values, and then these 'elite' programs are funded again. 

 

CW among DW's union is that it's a long-game, pared with the new inane evals, to slowly gut the system so some future pol can ride in on the Voucher Horse and save the day!

[Joker]

My district does not provide microscopes or slides for student use.  Scales, a few that were bought long ago and haven't been destroyed still exist as does the calibration set. They are used in Regent's Chem and Regent's Earth Physics. The school doesn't even own a tuning fork (or they won't admit it to the band and physics teachers).

 

When the student reaches the level of doing real labs, here they are directed to DE or their own provider.  My supply list for next year is $150 for AP Physics should I buy from the suggested provider. I haven't priced AP Chem yet, but that will certainly factor into my decision on which course the lad is going to take.  I am not up for building my own lab hood.  I guess I'm happy I don't have to drive the kid over to the college and hang out all day, since I can teach Chem or Phys at home or use an internet provider.

 

That's sad and I wonder how common it is. My dds are in public middle school and every science classroom is a lab and has equipment. They are very hands on. My 6th grader has so far done a frog and lamb's brain dissection. My 8th grader is getting ready for a fetal pig dissection. We've had to pay zero dollars toward anything science related.

[Guest]

Public school was much more expensive for us and ds1 qualified for pretty much everything.

 

I'll never know how much of his decision was based on pressure from clueless relatives who thought homeschooling was "a luxury you just can't afford" and everything would be unicorns and rainbows as soon as the "bad mother" was disposed of.

 

PowerSchool sent me scary emails saying that he wouldn't get his diploma unless i paid off a $1000+ "fee balance". I don't have a clue how that resolved itself--either ds1 spent major time in detention to clear it or XDH took something to the pawn shop.

 

Not happy memories.

[Pen]

It is interesting to read how different things are in different places!

 

 

We also had fees for athletics, fees for special lessons, fees for supplies. Some activities had fund raisers, but then it was expected that one would give time or money or both to the fundraisers. Also expected were birthday parties both in and out of school--not just gifts for other, but also hosting parties, bringing in cupcakes etc. when one's own child had a birthday, and so on.

 

If OP does not need the school as a babysitter, and especially if they have access to high speed internet so they can get things like Khan Academy and other sites with free education materials, homeschool might in fact be a less expensive option for them.

[elegantlion]

Homeschooling has been cheaper for us. 

 

Sarcastically, because I would seriously need therapy trying to get ds to the bus stop on the corner, like I could kick him off the porch it's that close, by 6:40 each morning.  :lol:  :coolgleamA:

 

Fees, incidentals, and clothes would probably exceed what I spend on homeschooling most years. 

 

I haven't added it all up, but another issue is the timing of expenses. While homeschooling, I can adjust the budget to fit our income. When ds was in private school (prek and K) we had fundraisers and book drives and pledge funds and birthdays and snacks and volunteer duty, etc, etc. Since we were a self-employed family we got paid on in irregular basis and the expenses always seemed to fall when we were broke. Honestly, it sucked to tell him no so many times because the book fair fell on the wrong week. 

[BlueTaelon]

Homeschooling has been cheaper for us. 

 

Sarcastically, because I would seriously need therapy trying to get ds to the bus stop on the corner, like I could kick him off the porch it's that close, by 6:40 each morning.  :lol:  :coolgleamA:

 

Fees, incidentals, and clothes would probably exceed what I spend on homeschooling most years. 

 

I haven't added it all up, but another issue is the timing of expenses. While homeschooling, I can adjust the budget to fit our income. When ds was in private school (prek and K) we had fundraisers and book drives and pledge funds and birthdays and snacks and volunteer duty, etc, etc. Since we were a self-employed family we got paid on in irregular basis and the expenses always seemed to fall when we were broke. Honestly, it sucked to tell him no so many times because the book fair fell on the wrong week. 

 

We do the same, I usually buy our years HS'ing materials from my tax return or we use a K12 VA, K12 was a really good fit for dd7 last year but since I needed to work I had to put her in school. Work isn't really an issue for a couple months and I'm beginning to worry about her bringing home the flu,I I'm strongly leaning towards pulling her.

 

 

It is interesting to read how different things are in different places!

 

 

We also had fees for athletics, fees for special lessons, fees for supplies. Some activities had fund raisers, but then it was expected that one would give time or money or both to the fundraisers. Also expected were birthday parties both in and out of school--not just gifts for other, but also hosting parties, bringing in cupcakes etc. when one's own child had a birthday, and so on.

 

If OP does not need the school as a babysitter, and especially if they have access to high speed internet so they can get things like Khan Academy and other sites with free education materials, homeschool might in fact be a less expensive option for them.

 

Nope, don't need a sitter till at least March and hoping to work it so I don't have to go back. Yes we have DSL, I actually have most of the materials I would need for her anyway.

[Pen]

We've had almost no sickness since homeschooling started. We missed strep/Scarlet Fever outbreak, lice, and a terrible stomach flu that had over half the kids out sick. And we generally are starting our day now at a later time than the wicked cold and early time he used to have to meet the bus. He misses the social aspects of school, but those same social aspects also are what leads to a lot of the costs in terms of peer pressure both child and adult. He can do hs in comfortable and still warm pajamas or in stained or ragged clothes, which would not be acceptable at school.

 

BTW to the various ideas about heat, I want to add that we have found Mylar emergency blankets over doors and windows helpful especially at night. Also if you have leaky windows of similar spots there are some things like Mor-tite (as a brand name of one type but I may have spelling off), or Frost King is another brand, that have coils of slightly sticky (but removable) stuff that can help seal spots that let in drafts. I have used the latter usually, but then coming into a storm this year ran out of patience with putting up the Mor-tite stuff and put a whole Mylar blanket over a whole window. The Mylar cuts out light, but was much more effective for keeping in heat.

 

Sounds like homeschool or K12 VA at home would be good for you and her. What are the reasons not to pull her?

[BlueTaelon]

We've had almost no sickness since homeschooling started. We missed strep/Scarlet Fever outbreak, lice, and a terrible stomach flu that had over half the kids out sick. And we generally are starting our day now at a later time than the wicked cold and early time he used to have to meet the bus. He misses the social aspects of school, but those same social aspects also are what leads to a lot of the costs in terms of peer pressure both child and adult. He can do hs in comfortable and still warm pajamas or in stained or ragged clothes, which would not be acceptable at school.

 

BTW to the various ideas about heat, I want to add that we have found Mylar emergency blankets over doors and windows helpful especially at night. Also if you have leaky windows of similar spots there are some things like Mor-tite (as a brand name of one type but I may have spelling off), or Frost King is another brand, that have coils of slightly sticky (but removable) stuff that can help seal spots that let in drafts. I have used the latter usually, but then coming into a storm this year ran out of patience with putting up the Mor-tite stuff and put a whole Mylar blanket over a whole window. The Mylar cuts out light, but was much more effective for keeping in heat.

 

Sounds like homeschool or K12 VA at home would be good for you and her. What are the reasons not to pull her?

 

She drives everyone crazy when not kept busy? lol I'm also going to catch hell from my parents. I talked to dd7 about it, showed her the samples from K12 since she didn't remember it and she was really exciting going though them. She's bored academically at school and has been acting out. This is her 2nd time though 1st grade, she wasn't reading or writing at the end of last year so they held her back even though she's advanced in all her other subjects. I having her taking the K12 placement test right now for math to see where she's functioning. The only thing she's not excited about is she has friends at school and there are pretty much zero chances for meeting friends outside of school in this town, they actually have the after school program so the kids get a chance to play with each other because everyone is so spread out the kids can't exactly run next door to the neighbors. It would be an option for her though once my car is fixed.

 

I do have plastic over the windows but a lot of the cold comes up though the floor and seeps through the walls. I have heavy quilts over the doors and even did the window plastic over the laundry room door to seal it off.

 

[elegantlion]

 

I do have plastic over the windows but a lot of the cold comes up though the floor and seeps through the walls. I have heavy quilts over the doors and even did the window plastic over the laundry room door to seal it off.

 

Can you put quilts on the walls? We have lousy insulation and I've considered "quilting" one room because the walls get so cold. Adding insulation isn't an option right now. You might even get by with fleece, not quite as heavy and might be able to pinned up with thumbtacks to avoid visible holes in the wall since you're renting. 

[Pen]

She drives everyone crazy when not kept busy? lol I'm also going to catch hell from my parents. I talked to dd7 about it, showed her the samples from K12 since she didn't remember it and she was really exciting going though them. She's bored academically at school and has been acting out. This is her 2nd time though 1st grade, she wasn't reading or writing at the end of last year so they held her back even though she's advanced in all her other subjects. I having her taking the K12 placement test right now for math to see where she's functioning. The only thing she's not excited about is she has friends at school and there are pretty much zero chances for meeting friends outside of school in this town, they actually have the after school program so the kids get a chance to play with each other because everyone is so spread out the kids can't exactly run next door to the neighbors. It would be an option for her though once my car is fixed.

 

I do have plastic over the windows but a lot of the cold comes up though the floor and seeps through the walls. I have heavy quilts over the doors and even did the window plastic over the laundry room door to seal it off.

 

 

Well, okay, driving everyone crazy, and social life are significant things to balance! What is the catching hell from parents part?

 

The Mylar emergency blankets seem to go way beyond regular plastic because they reflect heat back toward people, rather than just making a second layer.  I am using removable poster tape to hold it in place so I can take it off when we want more air, light, or to go in and out, and then easily put it back again. One window has only the bottom half covered which turned out to be nice because we can look out over the covered part when we stand up, but since cold air falls it takes care of most of the cold part and reflects back at our body level while seated.

 

As an added benefit I have a jar of green onions growing on the sill between the Mylar and the window--they are not actually out where they would freeze, and the Mylar is reflecting enough light to get them to green up, which in our house we can't usually achieve.

[BlueTaelon]

Well, okay, driving everyone crazy, and social life are significant things to balance! What is the catching hell from parents part?

 

The Mylar emergency blankets seem to go way beyond regular plastic because they reflect heat back toward people, rather than just making a second layer.  I am using removable poster tape to hold it in place so I can take it off when we want more air, light, or to go in and out, and then easily put it back again. One window has only the bottom half covered which turned out to be nice because we can look out over the covered part when we stand up, but since cold air falls it takes care of most of the cold part and reflects back at our body level while seated.

 

As an added benefit I have a jar of green onions growing on the sill between the Mylar and the window--they are not actually out where they would freeze, and the Mylar is reflecting enough light to get them to green up, which in our house we can't usually achieve.

 

I had mylar coated bubble wrap on the windows but the plastic actually seems to work better as it can get a better seal. I'll give it a try though when I get some extra money, you can get like 12 for $6 on Amazon if I remember right.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Am I the only one who discovered the kid needed more clothing? 

 

My youngest boy was in p.s. this fall because I was in court with his dad about custody. When he was homeschooled, it was common for the kiddo to wear the same outfit two days in a row if it stayed clean. After he was in school, his teacher noticed his dad always sent him in the same clothes two days in a row, and she asked me if she could get in touch with the kiddo's law guardian to report this "neglect." I hadn't thought of it as neglect, ever; I only hadn't done it because I was afraid kids would tease him. But I had made sure he had five pairs of pants, so he could wear a different one every day of the week. Previously, when homeschooled, he only had two pairs of clean, nice, casual pants at any given time (plus sloppy pants for art and mud, which can't be worn to school).

 

Also, my homeschooled kids have never (in this cold climate) owned sneakers in the middle of winter. They get warm waterproof boots in late fall and wear those until spring, when I buy them rainboots and sneakers for the warmer season. But the school is so particular about what the kids have on their feet!  Kiddo needs sneakers for phys. ed. and is only allowed to wear snowboots on actually snowy days.

 

Plus, I had to go buy three more pairs of long johns. Two pairs per kid has always been my standard - one to wash, one to wear - because my kids would only put them on to go play in the snow after a big storm. While he was schooled, I had to put my son in long johns every single day, because at 6:30am (when he has to walk the .9 of a mile to school) it's freakin' COLD out there no matter what the temp will be later.

 

In previous years, if my kids outgrew their snow pants in February, that was the end of playing in the snow until next winter. This year, though, I'd have to buy the next size up, which was sure only to get a month of use, because if he had to wade through the snow banks to get to school in his regular pants he'd arrived soaked and man those teachers are on that "neglect" thing. 

 

To be fair, I imagine not all schools are so uptight about it. Kiddo's school was in a poor neighborhood, but is the district's science magnet school (and the only school in the district that teaches Latin in elementary school), so it had all the local poor kids and all the suburban snots who wanted their kid to get a STEM education. I think that mix created a very trigger-happy environment for all the mandated reporters who work in that building every day.

 

We also have had to decide how to deal with all the optional things-- field trips, fundraisers, instrument lessons, dance lessons, sports clubs, art clubs, parties, even movies (yes, they sent home a flyer saying, 'do you want to spend $5 to have your kid transported to a Pixar movie in the middle of the school day?').  Sure, we could have said no to any of them,  but the social consequences for our kid would have been unpleasant in some cases, and, well, we do want our kid to learn an instrument, do art, do sports, etc.

 

Since I have been homeschooling for years, and was homeschooling my older two boys, there would have been no extra cost to include my little guy in the art, sports and instrument work we were doing. I could have used hand-me-down books for the most part. Because of our circumstances, I'm pretty sure the total cost of homeschool supplies for the little guy alone would have come to less than I spent on clothes, shoes, a lunch box (because school provides lunch, but not snack, and kids whose parents don't send one have to sit there doing nothing while the snacked kids eat), and a replacement backpack when his cheap donated one fell apart.

 

So maybe if you've always been a brick-and-mortar schooler, it's even or cheaper to send your kid to brick-and-mortar school. But if you've always been a homeschooler, are stocked up and staying home anyway, heck yeah, school is more expensive.

 

Also, mega mega inconvenient. School is a PITA. I hated getting up at 5:45 every morning. It threw off the whole rest of the day. I hated having to arrange to meet the kid after school at 2:25 every day. Having a mandatory mid-day experience made everything else so difficult to schedule. It bissected my afternoon. When you're used to setting your own schedule, school is a vexation.

 

[...................]

Maybe at this age you might save a few dollars, ok maybe about 100.  But honestly,as the kids get older homeschooling costs more too.  I don't know.

 

It seems to me that you would be choosing to homeschool her for the wrong reasons.  If you feel you want to give your child a better education, and a healthier, happier atmosphere in which to teach her your values and to become a healthy successful adult, and you are willing to work with her 5-7 hours per day to achieve that goal, because it means the world to you...that is why you should homeschool.

 

Never before have I heard someone say that they might start homeschooling a particular child to save money.  Seems like all the wrong reasons to go into something that is, as you know, a huge, huge huge, huge commitment of time and energy in every way.  Also, if your dd is the "bouncy" kind and causes problems to get attention, that would make the transition all the more difficult!

 

[Lori D.]

Here's a very low-cost room heater idea I'm dying to try out, using tea light candles and cheap clay flower pots.

 

 

Okay, we tried it out!

 

Cost:

Less than $5 for the 2 terracotta pots (Home Depot or Lowe's). We already had a bread pan and some tea light candles.

 

What we used/What we did:

We grouped 4 tea light candles in the center of a 9"x5" bread pan; we balanced an upside down small terracotta pot (about 6" high & across) over the lit candles, and  covered the drain hole with an empty tea light foil holder. Then we balanced an upside down medium terracotta pot (about 8" high & across), over the smaller pot. Do not block the drain hole in the larger pot.

 

Results:

It takes about an hour for the outer pot to reach maximum heat. Warm air flows out the top pot's drain hole, and heat radiates from the sides of the outer pot (enough that you can't leave your hand on the pot, but you can gently rest feet in socks on the sides of the pot). We tried in a large open area of the house, so no discernible rise in room temperature.

 

Conclusion:

As Dialectica said, you would get best results using 2-3 of these devices. Also, it would need to be a small room, with the doors closed, to hold in the heat. If you have a very cheap source of tea light candles, and could shut yourself into a small room, I could definitely see this would be a potentially cheaper source of heat than a space heater.

 

Fun science experiment! :)

[BlueTaelon]

Maybe at this age you might save a few dollars, ok maybe about 100.  But honestly,as the kids get older homeschooling costs more too.  I don't know.

 

It seems to me that you would be choosing to homeschool her for the wrong reasons.  If you feel you want to give your child a better education, and a healthier, happier atmosphere in which to teach her your values and to become a healthy successful adult, and you are willing to work with her 5-7 hours per day to achieve that goal, because it means the world to you...that is why you should homeschool.

 

Never before have I heard someone say that they might start homeschooling a particular child to save money.  Seems like all the wrong reasons to go into something that is, as you know, a huge, huge huge, huge commitment of time and energy in every way.  Also, if your dd is the "bouncy" kind and causes problems to get attention, that would make the transition all the more difficult!

 

You are making a lot of unfounded assumptions. I didn't go through all my reasons, I was just bringing up the financial ones. We have always been HS'ers,, I'm on year 8 with dd13 and I did kindy with dd7. The ONLY reason I put her in school was because I needed the free babysitting it provided while I worked to get us out of a bad situation and I was not allowed to educate her while living at my parents (very long story I really don't want to get into) so it was the best option AT THE TIME for her. Believe me, there is a lot thats going into this decision, I'm just trying to weigh it all out and I was surprised or rather shocked by how much it actually costs to send dd7 to the local B&M. Things I had never really thought about, I'd always figured B&M was cheaper but in our case its a heck of a lot more $$$.

 

 

Am I the only one who discovered the kid needed more clothing? 

 

Believe me, they need a lot more clothing and it can't wait! dd7 had a major growth spurt over xmas and grew out of her 5 pairs of jeans, we had 2 of the next size and they are making clothes cheaper these days. She's already torn a hole in the knee of 1 pair which leaves her 1 pair for school and I know thats not going to work, especially since were having to line dry in the house and jeans take 2-3 days to dry. Buying an electric dryer is on my list of things to do with my tax return but  thats still weeks away. Anyway I'm looking online to see if I can get a good deal some where for a couple of pairs we can't really afford.  I usually slowly pick up the next size over several months when I find them on clearance. I just bought her all new clothes in Sept! Now she needs another new wardrobe. Its insane. At home we just have 2-3 pairs of jeans and shirts but at school you need 2-3 times that. Plus snow boots, sneakers for school plus another pair just for the gym (yes, in 1st grade!)

 

<snip>

 

 

We also have had to decide how to deal with all the optional things-- field trips, fundraisers, instrument lessons, dance lessons, sports clubs, art clubs, parties, even movies (yes, they sent home a flyer saying, 'do you want to spend $5 to have your kid transported to a Pixar movie in the middle of the school day?').  Sure, we could have said no to any of them,  but the social consequences for our kid would have been unpleasant in some cases, and, well, we do want our kid to learn an instrument, do art, do sports, etc.

 

Yep, dd7 doesn't really tell me about them but dd13 went to school the last 2-3 months of the year last year when we first got up here and OMG, I heard about it and the pressure to do every little activity, sorry kiddo, our budget is planned months in advance, at the very least I need to know about it the month before, not the day before! Everything has a fee even when not listed, I felt like crap at Halloween when they sent home flyer's asking everyone to come to the carnival, it sounded like everything was free so I figured hey! For once we will go, sounds like fun, we showed up and NOTHING we free and I had zero money to my name:( I was embarrassed and felt like crap, turns out the flyer they sent home with the prices was sitting in dd7's cubby. I felt really bad for the kids but it ended up being a good night for us but I had to scramble to put together something they thought was worth it. The only thing thats free at that school is the afterschool care, everything else comes with a price tag.

 

<<snip>

 

So maybe if you've always been a brick-and-mortar schooler, it's even or cheaper to send your kid to brick-and-mortar school. But if you've always been a homeschooler, are stocked up and staying home anyway, heck yeah, school is more expensive.

 

Agreed, that would be us. Its feast or famine around here so I know to stock up and shop because its mostly famine around here but that assumes we will be home.

 

Also, mega mega inconvenient. School is a PITA. I hated getting up at 5:45 every morning. It threw off the whole rest of the day. I hated having to arrange to meet the kid after school at 2:25 every day. Having a mandatory mid-day experience made everything else so difficult to schedule. It bissected my afternoon. When you're used to setting your own schedule, school is a vexation.

 

Agreed! I have to get up at 4am and the bus comes at 6:30, I'm not functional the days she goes to school from lack of sleep and were just getting into the groove of school work with dd13 when I have to stop and go get dd7 off the bus and then deal with snack and her telling me all about her day and just on and on, it really cuts into school time with dd13. When I work I won't even take a client before 10am because I NEED my sleep, if I get up before 7am I have a really hard time functioning that day from exhaustion (dealing with adrenal issues). I am very used to setting my own schedule and keeping to the schools insane schedule just is not working for us.

 

For us, the only benefit is free babysitting (which I don't need anymore) and dd7 likes school even though she's bored in class. She lives for recess lol.

[MistyMountain]

My costs aren't that expensive to use a brick and mortar school. My oldest doesn't really get sick all the time from going to school. Her siblings who are not in school got sick more then her. I don't really worry about doing fundraisers. The charter school is close to my house and I have a fuel efficient vehicle. I do have to buy I pair of gym shoes I wouldn't have if she wasn't in school but I brought it on clearance so it wasn't a big expense. The school supplies I need to buy are similar to ones I would need to homeschool.

 

I don't send her with expensive lunches. She has to deal with cold food at times. I guess since I do still buy some curriculum that is an extra expense that I do incur by using the public school. If I was homeschooling I live in a state where we get a stipend from the state if we join a oversight charter or group and I wouldn't have to pay for it. The stipend can be used for curriculum or classes. If we didn't have that then homeschooling would for sure be more expensive but since we do have that it wouldn't be expensive for me to homeschool. If I was homeschooling I cannot put together pinterest worthy stuff together on my own and I would be getting good curriculum. I couldn't pull it off with all super cheap or free stuff. Plus I might want to have them in more classes if I was home schooling.

[elegantlion]

Am I the only one who discovered the kid needed more clothing? 

 

 

 

Ds was in private school, but yes! Khaki pants, polos, belts (OMG, the belt was a huge war - he hates belts). None of this clothing was stuff he wanted to wear outside of school. 

 

Now he has a self-imposed kind of "uniform". Just today I bought him two more pairs of pants that will last through next winter hopefully. So he now has 3 pairs of the same pants. He rotates the same clothes. He also has had the same pair of shoes for over a year - which is amazing at his age, but his feet may be done growing as he seems to be gearing up to be the same stature as his father and my dad.