Buying consumables for future use?

[marge]

When buying curriculum for your oldest that you plan to use for 2 more children, do you go ahead and purchase extra consumables for the younger children? Do you wait and hope that there aren't significant changes? I don't want to screw this up :confused1:

[cintinative]

Well, since mine both use the same math texts (just different levels), I usually order ahead but not necessarily two of each. That is more of a financial thing than a planning thing, since I order about every six months anyway.

 

For Story of the World, I did go ahead and order the student pages from Peace Hill for all the books recently. That way, if they revise the books and the student pages, I have the version that goes with what I have.  

 

The writing curriculum I used is designed to be consumable but you are allowed to make copies for your family. Since I don't usually write in the book it hasn't been an issue yet.

 

Mine are close in age though so I might be a bad person to ask. At least this will bump your question for you!

[SereneHome]

I also wonder what makes more financial sense - to buy an extra copy or make copies yourself

[Lori D.]

Well… I lean away from buying more than 1 year in advance for several reasons:

 

1. What if it's not a good match for the younger sibling(s)?

If it was purchased just before using, most companies have generous return policies -- but not if you've been holding the materials for a year or more for a sibling. Then you're stuck trying to re-sell, and even if the materials were never used, people don't typically buy from individuals unless you sell for a significant discount -- and now you've lost money on brand new unused school materials. :(

 

We only had 2 DSs, 1 grade apart, but so radically different in learning needs/styles that there was very little we could repeat with DS#2 from DS#1. SO glad I hadn't pre-bought a lot before discovering that, as it took a good two years of homeschooling to see what each did best with. :)

 

2. What if something better comes out between now and then?

You're stuck using what you pre-bought, rather than having the freedom to try something new.

 

3. Storage.

Do you have room to store future material? We were always a bit tight on space.

 

 

If the main concern is that the edition of the curriculum will change and you won't be able to get the consumable portion to match, can you just keep a close eye on the curriculum, and pounce when a new edition is announced? That allows you to not have to store materials that are years away from use, and to see how younger siblings are developing if they will even be a match for the curriculum.

 

BEST of luck, whatever you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[kristinannie]

I only order future consumables for younger children if I am already ordering from a particular site and I am absolutely sure that I will be using it for a younger child.  I have been known to order something to get free shipping from Rainbow Resource.   :lol:

[idnib]

Yes, esp for Singapore. I really like Singapore but it drives me nuts to switch between all the books. I rely heavily on page numbers and don't want a later printing in which the page numbers might not line up with the (expensive) Home Instructor Guides.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited May 29 by SilverMoon

[MerryAtHope]

No, I don't. I did a few times early on, and then either the product didn't work for any, or it wasn't a good fit for younger, or I had found something I liked better by the time younger would be ready--it didn't turn out to be worth it a good portion of the time, so I would have to be VERY sure I was going to use it AND that waiting would be risky. (Risky meaning the company is likely to put out a new edition that won't work with the old.) I also find for a lot of things we use that it really doesn't change much in those couple of years, and it works out just fine to wait.

 

So...I guess, know the company and their habits, and know yourself and your kids before deciding for sure!

[Coco_Clark]

I don't buy ahead. I'm too afraid the next kid will have a different learning style or find another program I like better. I buy way too many never-touched workbooks from other moms ;)

 

I've looked into making copies and its sometimes more expensive (for me) in paper and ink (and time!) than just buying a new workbook. Miquon, for example, is very affordable. I do make copies in SOTW as we only use a small portion of the activity book pages.

 

In very expensive workbooks I've been noon to slip a page protector over and have the kids use a dry erase. LOE works well for this.

[Kathryn]

I do buy ahead for later kids with consumables. We don't "consume" many consumables anyway though. We work orally or use dry erase markers

and page protectors in a lot of consumables. I like knowing I have what I need and things will line up with my instructor texts though. I've changed some things for my second son and lost a few dollars selling used, but it wasn't enough of a loss to deter me from buying ahead.

[SevenDaisies]

The only time I have done this was recently when Singapore mentioned they might discontinue Standards for common core. I already have Standards levels 1-5 and am perfectly happy with them. Many times I am excited about the changes, but in this case I was not and what we have works well for us.

[idnib]

The only time I have done this was recently when Singapore mentioned they might discontinue Standards for common core. I already have Standards levels 1-5 and am perfectly happy with them. Many times I am excited about the changes, but in this case I was not and what we have works well for us.

 

Do you know any more about this? I buy ahead for my younger but haven't bought everything I want. Do you know if this is definite?

[SevenDaisies]

Do you know any more about this? I buy ahead for my younger but haven't bought everything I want. Do you know if this is definite?

I purchased them all last year when I had heard they might, but Jenny at Singapore posted yesterday that they would not be discontinued for a few more years - possibly eventually.

[marge]

Thank you for your thoughts, Ladies! Sounds like I should go put my credit card back into my purse ;)

[redsquirrel]

I do if, like someone upthread menetioned, I need to get to free shipping, or I see a good price, or I feel strongly about something and I am worried it will change.  But, I only have two and they seem to have fairly similar learning styles. I am finishing third grade and mostly using all the same stuff that I used for my older boy.

 

 

[boscopup]

Every time I've done it, I've ended up using something else for the next kid, so it was wasted money.

 

I also tend to get bored, so I don't really want to use the same curriculum with every child every year. :tongue_smilie:

[SebastianCat]

I only have 2 kids who are 2 years apart, so I generally DO buy consumables for both.   Then if the program changes, I'm not stuck buying all-new teacher manuals or instructor guides for my 2nd child.  

 

Math has been the only subject in which we've ended up switching to a different curriculum for my younger child, so I sold the consumable book for 75% of the new price and moved on.  

 

Every family is going to be different so I'd consider the learning styles of your children, the age difference, your own teaching style, and the number of times you plan to use the materials before making a decision.