Do you ever purchase curriclua you're not sure of just to see it IRL?

[KIN]

I just ordered Memoria Press' Christian Studies and Explorer's Bible study to compare and contrast. I just can't decide without seeing it in my hands! Am I the only one who has done this?

[Sophia]

but I try to find them used so my loss can be kept to a minimum.

 

Sometimes I re-sell, sometimes I keep it because it might work for another one of my dc.

 

I've been at this for eight years and I've learned it's worthwhile for me to spend a little extra to find the "right" material.

[KIN]

Well, I decided to buy new so that I could return it and re-coop all of my money minus shipping. I was afraid I couldn't resell what I didn't want. :) I have never done this before, but I just can't decide between these two.

[Krista in LA]

I just bought Classical Writing used so I can check it out. I'm hoping to actually use it with my ds next year, but I have to take a good look at it first. I generally won't buy something new just to check it out though as I don't want to lose too much money.

[Jenny in Atl]

I've been known to do this and I really need to stop. :eek:

it can be hard because somethings sounds so great and the only way to see it is to buy it.

[nmoira]

Latin Prep -- it's now waiting in the wings

Megawords -- giving DD a trial with it so she can choose this or continue with Sequential Spelling

Mathematics 6 -- love, love, love it, also waiting in the wings

Writing Strands -- put me to sleep, I'll resell this

 

Oh, gosh, I just realized how many more there are I've either sold or will wait and see with my younger girl. I guess I'm a curriculum junkie. OTOH, buying used has, without much outlay, let me examine 4 different Latin curricula to help decide where to go next. Oooooh... I smell a rationalization coming on. :)

[Linda in NM]

I'm with you, Jenny--it's a bad habit that I need to break. Watch me not buy Megawords! Seriously, I'm trying to hang on to our convention in April, since what I have is working for my 13 yos, but, when Spring comes, our hearts turn to thoughts of...new curricula!

[Myrtle]

I'm going to buy Runkle's Geography online, but before I do I'm going to call and ask if it's okay to return it if I don't like it.

 

Many businesses have return policies that will allow you to return merchandise that you are not satisfied with for any reason at all, not just if it's defective, it will just cost you the return shipping which might net you more than resale. Normally I would just keep merchandise that I'm not happy with that I've bought online, but it looks like Runkle's with the student workbook is going to cost around $100!

 

If Runkle's says that they won't accept a dissatisfied customer return then I'll try to get it through interlibrary loan. In fact, our library has Jacob's Geometry and Art of Problem Solving books in their system already, but many other things can be viewed simply by putting in a request...and I think that almost all of the books that I got through interlibrary loan I did end up buying.

[Night Elf]

Yes. Most of the things I purchase just to see are new because I can return them. I don't mind paying shipping costs. I have also purchased used, but sometimes it doesn't seem worth it. The one thing to keep in mind is if a company charges a restocking fee for returning an item. I've made that mistake before and it was not cool.

[Mom2jnb]

Yes, much to my dh dismay I do this. He gets kind of upset with me because he still sees the S & H as a loss. I usually try to find it used or find someone around here that uses it too so that I can look at it.

 

I just ordered TOG. I am excited to look through it but at the same time I am suddenly incredibly regretful of it. I think I may have made a hasty decision. So, we will see when it arrives and I look at it. I need to put my hands on it and really look throught it. We tried the 3 week trials online and I really enjoyed them but I think I may be more nervous about the year I bought (2) I think I may end up exchanging it for Yr 3. My ds and I have been working on those same units as Yr 2 this year with a history co-op but I was trying to follow the "WTM" chronological order. I think I may jump him to Yr. 3 we will be okay.

 

So, in short...yes...it is necessary..even if I have to hear dh grumble.

 

Alison

[susie in tx]

I just bought Classical Writing used so I can check it out. I'm hoping to actually use it with my ds next year.

 

Which one did you buy? I've got several here. ;)

[Sweetest]

I just did that recently with Professor B math. I tried a couple of lessons and realized it wasn't going to work so I sold it used. It was pretty expensive for a couple of lessons but totally worth it in my mind. I have been thinking about trying it for the last year and now I can stop thinking about it :)

[AudreyTN]

I do too. I do buy it used though. Unless I get a 75% off new deal. (It's happened!!) A lot of times if I'm not sure, I have to be confident that I could resell it OR pay next to nothing for it!! :)

[PixieKris]

oh yes.... There is something very different about owning a curriculum and sitting with it at your own kitchen table and even trying it out than just looking at it. I think as I have done this, it has become less and less necessary for me to actually buy the curriculum to get a sense of it, but I have spent many a $$ on something that I just looked at and resold or stuck in a box in my garage as maybe someday or tried a couple times and realized we didn't need it. This year might be the first year I didn't buy any more curriculum than we are actually using! (And it's out sixth, and probably last, year homeschooling)...

 

Good luck!

Kris

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Sometimes, yes.

 

I always really scour over samples first to make sure I have a true interest in it and at least a hunch that it is what we are looking for....but, yes, sometimes I just have to SEE it in my hands and really get a look see. :D

[Ali in OR]

I find myself wanting to do this for writing for next year. I want to really examine WT, CW, SWB's new book, and IEW! I know I won't buy all 4, but I'm guessing I will probably buy more than one. It's so hard to know what will really fit you. And if I am making a trade off, I like to know what my chosen curriculum emphasizes and what it treats lightly or skips all together. Then I can either agree with that approach or do a little supplementing with something else. I am lucky enough that my hs budget allows for my own education and at least a little experimentation.

[susie in tx]

I just order Memoria Press' Christian Studies and Explorer's Bible study to compare and contrast. I just can't decide without seeing it in my hands! Am I the only one who has done this?

 

I feel like I am very fortunate because I have three homeschool bookstores to visit. I tend to spend quite a bit of time perusing them before I buy something. However, there are some things that I just have to see that they don't have. I'll buy those. I've found that having the entire thing in my hands, and not just the samples, helps me to get a better feel for the product. I can see the entire scope and sequence, how each portion or lesson in the book builds on the lesson before, etc. I can feel the pages, see if the binding is going to hold up, etc. Sometimes, I need to have something in my hands for a while before I decide if I am or am not going to use it.

 

It's terrible, this addiction.

 

I try to buy used, but that doesn't always happen. I also have a lot of stuff that I haven't sold that I will probably never use. OTOH, I've recently been culling, and I like most of what I have. I just need MORE. LOL

[Crissy]

Thankfully, we have an incredible used homeschool book store just down the road. I have often been able to take a look at things there before making a decision. What a money saver! :D

 

There have been newer programs, though, that I've purchased *hoping* they would meet my expectations and that we'd use them.

[elegantlion]

I'm trying to hold off some purchases until I can get to the nearest homeschool bookstore, which is 2 hours away. I can never make up my mind but don't have a budget to buy and look, so I pray over my choices, a lot.

[Plaid Dad]

I just order Memoria Press' Christian Studies

 

Just FYI: Memoria Press has a very good return policy in case Christian Studies doesn't work out for you.

[KIN]

Just FYI: Memoria Press has a very good return policy in case Christian Studies doesn't work out for you.

 

Thanks! I checked that out before I bought it. :) I just can't decide! It doesn't look like as much writing, from the examples, as people are saying...

[Plaid Dad]

I think it depends on how easy it is for your kids to write - both in terms of physically forming the letters and in terms of formulating their thoughts. I haven't used Christian Studies yet - we'll start it next year - but I have used MP's Greek Myths guide with my 6yo dd, and we ended up doing most of the comprehension questions orally. But it really depends on the kid.

[Krista in LA]

Which one did you buy? I've got several here. ;)

 

I got Aesop with the B books. I wasn't sure if I wanted to start with A since ds will be in 5th grade. I think I saw on their website that they recommend B for 5th. Which ones do you have and are you using them? I was contemplating the workbook for older beginners for dd, but I want to check it out before I make any more decisions plus I need to figure out what else I'm doing with her next year.

[Lisawa]

I just ordered Memoria Press' Christian Studies and Explorer's Bible study to compare and contrast. I just can't decide without seeing it in my hands! Am I the only one who has done this?

 

 

Yes... I sure have.... I have tried to buy used first though... then I know I can sell it for at least what I bought it for... but with saying that...if a company has a return policy.... I don’t mind buying new, if I cant find it used.

 

This is one reason I love to go to our State convention too.... I can see almost everything I want to and some I didn’t know was out their!

 

We use Explorers bible study.... and I had to see it first too.... I’m with you... I need to see it...

[WTMindy]

I have done that several times, but I do try to buy it used so I can turn around and sell it back at around the same price as I purchased it.

[BizyPenguin]

I ask questions like crazy on the forums and then I go to Rainbow Resource or ChristianBooks to see if they have a sample of the curric I'm interested in so I can peek before buying. That doesn't always work, though. Case in point, I researched All American History like crazy and peeked inside the book at ChristianBooks.com, but when I got it and when we did the first lesson, it was a bust...So, now I have to sell it to recoup my money. Sometimes, you just don't know until you dig in.

[Laura Corin]

I only buy when I am pretty certain that it's the right thing.

 

Laura

[Kareni]

I've considered doing this since there are no homeschool stores in my area and only a TINY homeschool convention each Spring.

 

If you can place one order to one vendor, the price of return shipping would certainly beat traveling to a convention and you could look to your heart's content.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mcconnellboys]

No, I do it. I just go to convention to do it rather than buying.

 

Regena

[EKS]

When I do, I try to get it really cheap used. Then if I like it I decide if I need a new copy or not.