How Much do you spend Homeschooling? Part 1 of 2 Elementary Only

[J&JMom]

I have always been keenly interested in how much people spend on their homeschool.  So, the social scientist in me set up a poll.  There are 2 of them - Elementary Only and Mixed Ages (Elementary + Older or Older only).

 

To ensure we are comparing apples to apples, please consider the following:

 

- The amount is current.  Figures from a decade ago aren't relevant.  Try to keep within in the last year or two.  

- ONLY the main subjects are considered (Langauge Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art/Music Appreciation (NOTprivate/group Lessons), Religion, Logic, etc.) 

- DO NOT INCLUDE:  Music Lessons, Art Lessons, Gym Memberships, Extra Curricular Sports, Scout Activities, field trips, meals, etc.   

 - DO INCLUDE:  home library purchases, textbooks, workbooks, teacher education books, office supplies, art and science equipment, computers/peripherals purchased specifically for education.

- Try to include the same stuff a public school would in its curriculum. 

 

If you wish to list these items, you may in the comments, but not in the figures above.

 

BTW - What inspired me to write this is some homeschoolers spend less on their homeschool than I spend on paper!  I amazed at how they do it, but don't really want to follow in their footsteps :)

[Farrar]

Oops, I should have read first. I voted then needed to delete my vote and it won't let me revote for some glitchy reason.

 

We spent very little on core subjects this year for school and ditto for last year. We're doing paleontology for science so it's all books and free field trips (there's a local dinosaur park where you can dig with the paleontologists for free!) and a free Coursera class. We're doing government and philosophy for social studies with all living books, mostly library or a few things we bought. Brave Writer for language arts, so I did buy Faltering Ownership for this year. One kid is doing MEP and Khan for math, so that's really cheap. The other is continuing Jousting Armadillos, which we already had. I picked up the Key to Algebra books used for a couple of dollars for extra practice. I bought a couple of logic workbooks. That was it. Since the living books I bought were nearly all used, I think we spent less than $250.

 

Now, when you add in outside music and art and dance and theater and all the games and art supplies and extracurricular tech stuff ds wants and doing Destination Imagination, we easily top $1000.

[73349]

Some people bought the teacher's manuals, manipulatives kit, etc., three years/kids ago. Does that get counted if it is still being used by the same child? Another child?

 

I'm going to include foreign language because it's a school subject even though he wouldn't get it at schools here.

 

Update: Okay, my use of paper, ink, and misc. books is an estimate, but it looks like I came in at about $500 to $550, with

• $100 of that being Spanish, which will take two years to complete,
• just over $100 for English/language arts/handwriting, I think, even getting the LOE stuff during the scratch and dent sale,
• $50ish for math, depending on how long things take,
• $80ish for history (SOTW 2 and two Famous Figures books new and a Human Odyssey book used),
• about $40 for our required annual testing if we use the same one again,
• and the rest on logic, science, teacher supplies, art materials, other books, ink cartridges, etc.

And I'm spending probably another $100 to $150 for activity group, although I'd do something similar through the PTA.

 

I didn't include piano or swimming; he'd be doing both anyway.

 

If I had a younger child, it would be less expensive for that one because I could reuse.

[HomeAgain]

ETA this is for one child, none of which was bought for the older one.  They are so very different in their learning approach it makes it hard to reuse, plus we had nothing for early elementary.

Our current year uses:

 

Math:

Cuisenaire manipulatives - $5 for a personal set of nearly everything they make (rods, geoboard, pattern pieces, tangrams, spinners, dice, blocks, geo shapes... and book to go with)

Life of Fred A, B, C - $30 (bought used)

Extension pages to go with LOF - free

living math books - $2

MEP - free

 

Science:

Microscope kit - $15

Sketchbook - $1

Mystery Science - free

Various supplies - so far $1

 

Language arts:

set of magnetic letters - $6

spelling book - $.05

handwriting book - $.05

letter practice book - free

Grammarland - free

copybook - free

Reading Detective (Beginning) - free

Books for memorization/copywork/dication - nursery rhymes and A Child's Garden of Verses - free

 

Art:

Wee Folk Art - free

various supplies - $2 so far

Artist & composer studies - free

 

Spanish:

Duolingo - free

 

Logic:

Balance Benders (Beginning) - free

chess - free

 

 

Various costs:

ink for the semester's prints - $20

school supplies (glue, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, paper etc) - free

Planner - HomeschoolSkedtrack - free

 

Total cost - $82.10.  The LOF books were an indulgence bought over time because I never found them at our used book store, but all the rest I'm rather comfortable with.  We don't do history yet, but I already have a plan for that when we get to it.

[J&JMom]

Some people bought the teacher's manuals, manipulatives kit, etc., three years/kids ago. Does that get counted if it is still being used by the same child? Another child?

 

I'm going to include foreign language because it's a school subject even though he wouldn't get it at schools here. I'll be back in a little while.

Good points!  Yes, please include Foreign Languages.  

Teachers manuals are capital costs, so I would only include them in the year purchased, same with any equipment purchases.  Old timers savings should be offset with the newbies just starting out.

[abba12]

I buy non-consumables as much as possible, or make things non-consumable by writing in notebooks, using plastic sheets and dry erase markers, etc. So, almost all costs are for the eldest. One exception to this is the Kumon cutting and tracing books in K.

 

Once you include stationary and books, plus buying new books for our home library which we are forever expanding, plus paper and misc expenses, that looks like about $500 for the eldest each year, and $100 for each following student. The price for the eldest may rise considerably over the years, but because we will re-use for free with the rest I don't mind that at all. 

[Jackie]

I spend on the high end of the spectrum. I compare the cost to private school, which would be our alternative, and still come out well under that cost for a far better education so I still think I'm doing all right. A few months ago, I put together a detailed cost breakdown at http://everchangingchild.blogspot.com/2015/06/homeschooling-budget.html. It includes things not counted for this thread as well.

[purpleowl]

For two kids, things that I purchased specifically for this year (e.g., Lively Latin, though it will take a couple of years, was included, but Math Mammoth, which I purchased the previous year for levels 1-6, was not), I come in around $350.  Estimating costs of printing and office supplies, I think I'm still under $500.

[Mimm]

Why would you not include things like art classes and teacher education and things you wouldn't spend money on if you didn't homeschool. I didn't include piano lessons because we would do that anyway, but anything that we do only because we homeschool seems like a homeschool expense. For instance, my children participated in a homeschool orchestra one year. That seems like a valid homeschool expense. If they had gone to our elementary school, which has a wonderful music program, they could have taken orchestra there. So, I'm kind of confused as to what to count as a homeschool expense and what your reasons are for discounting so many things.

 

Anyway, I estimated. Because I don't keep careful count or carefully follow a budget. So... sorry if that messes up your poll. Now, I'm off to go mess up your other poll. ;)

 

ETA: I misread your original post and thought the part where you said DO INCLUDE was another do NOT include, so that makes a little more sense. However, I did estimate based on any expense or activity that we would not have if we were not homeschooling.

[Coco_Clark]

I'm in the 500-750 range. I'm given an "official" budget of 500 with our tax refund but what with printer paper and ink and library sales and the odd art supply that runs out early I spend a little as we go as well.

 

But I'm just starting out and spending a large percent on building a home library and basics that will be used year after year. I'm a bit hopeful even with added children the trickle down effect of used supplies can keep us at this budget in the future :)

[Arcadia]

For my 5th grader:

 

AoPS online classes and books:$57+$59+$330+$460=$906

German class : $530

Music (local public school gives music instrument lessons from 3rd grade): 36 school weeks x 65 =

$2,340

Science class: $2,100

 

Total:$5,876

 

For 6th grader:

 

AoPS online classes and books:$57+$64+$460+$460=$1,051

German class : $530

Music (local public school gives music instrument lessons from 3rd grade): 36 school weeks x 65 =

$2,340

Science class: $2,100

 

Total: $6,021

 

My kids needed new laptops this year as our old ones that they had been using kaput so that adds $350x2= $700

 

I did not include in cost of music instruments eventhough the public school expect parents to buy or rent for music class at school.

 

I'm too lazy to tally the cost of science lab supplies or art supplies we bought.

 

We'll be outsourcing literature again but kids haven't pick which course. It was about $500 each kid for 2014/15.

 

ETA:

I didn't include chinese class since the public schools only offer one foreign language per school year. It would be about the same as their german class.

[ScoutTN]

We would come in at around $350 for all books and supplies, but we are getting a microscope later this year and that will bump us way up.

 

Also, do we inlcued the cost of a tutorial or enrichment classes? If I include that, we would be much higher.

[rebcoola]

What we need to school is about $250 we use an ALE that gives us 1600 so we order a bunch just because we can.  

[Melissa in Australia]

when I Was homeschooling 5 children ( started homeschooling when oldest was in grade 5) It cost me 1000 per year. that was until oldest finished homeschooling. I now have all the curriculum and for the others it is under 300 a year. I got rid of lots of stuff before getting the twins. They are also a different kettle of fish and I am expecting to cost a bit more ( being 2 at the same level and all).

[AnniePoo]

Usually around 600-900.  I have 4th, 2nd, pre-K.  

 

Even my cheapskate DH is totally cool with me spending that much (and that's before CC tuition!) because he believes so strongly in education.

[Above The Rowan]

At least $750 for the year for two kids. Maybe more. A decent part of this expense is due to ordering from US sites - our exchange rate and shipping costs to Canada are not buyer friendly lately lol.

[Squirkle]

For both mine (they do most subjects together) it came to around £400 for the year on curriculum, books and stationery/art supplies. That equates to around $600 I think. Our libraries aren't great though so I often end up spending extra on books that I just can't get hold of. I try to re-sell afterwards though to recoup the costs and also sell used curriculum on (I have no youngers) or I will buy 1 workbook between both kids, photocopy all the pages twice and then sell the workbook on as new.

 

I haven't included in those figures their private music lessons, sports coaching, French tutor or Cub Scouts, which comes to around another £1200 a year on top. I was paying for those already even when they did attend a school, but I do count them all (except maybe the Scouts) as part of our homeschool expenses. PE, music and modern languages are all part of the national curriculum in schools from Year 3 at least, so I now consider them to be essentials rather than extra-curricular. The problem is that in a school they would all be taught as a class of 30, but if you homeschool the only option available is private tuition, which is far more expensive (but usually of better quality thankfully) else the kids have to miss out. Not really fair but I'd rather carry on homeschooling and take the financial hit.

[sassenach]

I buy and sell used, which changes my bottom line quite s bit. I think this year I ended up spending less than 100 out of pocket, because I made a good amount on my used sales.

 

For your purposes, I included spending no matter the source of the money. We still ended up under $250 a child. I don't know that I've ever spent more than $400 on any one kid in a given year. I have a 6th and a 7th grader.

[RootAnn]

Three kids under 6th grade - total is just under $300.

A lot of what they use is stuff I just need to replace consumables for or makes copies (coloring pages/paper). Biggest single buy was the Equine Science. I split the total for that into two since one kid under 6th is using it & one over sixth. I wouldn't have bought it just for the younger, however.

[Squawky Acres]

We are on the higher end of the range just for our official curriculum, but we use some expensive programs such as RS Math, NL Science, and MCT language arts.    I compare the costs of curriculum that works for us and makes my life easier with the cost of private school tuition, together with a cleaning lady and mother's helper (we tried the last two as time-saving measures, but they did not work out for me -- it is exhausting and distracting trying to manage someone else working in my home).

 

I do not hesitate to spend more for curriculum that makes my life easier, as my time is at such a premium right now.  For example, I love that RightStart Math sells a complete manipulatives kit and has the appendices all printed out on colored card stock, but I would like it even better if they would also cut them out for me.  I like that Nancy Larson science just provides everything in a big box and doesn't ask me to run out to the hardware store to buy lumber for building bird houses.  

[purpleowl]

For two kids, things that I purchased specifically for this year (e.g., Lively Latin, though it will take a couple of years, was included, but Math Mammoth, which I purchased the previous year for levels 1-6, was not), I come in around $350.  Estimating costs of printing and office supplies, I think I'm still under $500.

 

So I've been planning ahead for the next couple of years (it's break week for us, doesn't everyone plan ahead then? lol).  It looks like next year (2016-2017) I'll likely be in the "under $250" range, just less stuff to buy and more I can reuse.  The following year (2017-2018), I expect to be back in the $250-500 range, and potentially adding child #3 to the school cost mix (depends on if he's ready to start schoolish stuff at that age like his sisters or not, but if he is, I'll have stuff to purchase for him).

[Hunter]

I've lost all my hardcopy books to a horrible roach infestation that hit my high rise apartment building this summer after some road construction disrupted some outside nests. It still isn't under control, so I'm not buying yet.

 

I'm buying myself a new 3G Kindle at some point, but I would buy that for ME even if I wasn't tutoring, so I'm not counting that.

 

The plan is definitely under $250.00

 

Road and Staff English Handbook

 

Strayer-Upton Arithmetic 1-3

 

Merriam Webster Large Print Dictionary

 

NIrV Large Print Bible

 

Ruth Beechick's The Three R's.

 

TWTM

 

Everything else will be ebooks I already own and library books.

[Aurelia]

I usually spend in the $250-500 range, but 5th/6th grade was more expensive because I bought one full curriculum (Oak Meadow, used, but still) and once I had it in my hands, realized it would not fit my DD at all, so I had to scrap it (and shelve all the books and art materials I had bought to go with it) and start over, so it was almost like planning for 2 separate kids. 

[waa510]

I spend $50 max for a 1st grader as she's re-using all of her older sisters curriculum except the consumable workbooks I purchase (Evan Moor Geography $23 and HWT Cursive $15 workbooks ). My oldest is 4th grade but is admittedly all over the place in grade-level of materials so that can warp costs.

 

I purchased for my oldest this year (4th) about $250 in science experiment kits, workbooks, textbooks and supplemental stuff. A lot of the things we're using are the second half of last year's stuff or printed off ebooks which are usually cheaper. I try to spend a chunk on science, history extras and math. We also bought older Dd a Raspberry Pi kit to do with Dh which added $100 more than we'd usually spend. I've collected a bunch of things at homeschool conference used curric sales as I used to go to a bunch of them working conventions last year! The next few years should still be pretty low as I plan on shipping things to family for me to pick up when we visit to save on shipping costs. My in-laws are visiting next month so I may pre-buy and have them bring some stuff out that I may need to fill out the rest of the year. 

 

I'm counting these 3 years here as a special scenario so Dh and I understand that things may end up costing more. 

 

 

[AHASRADA]

I spent close to $500 this year for my Ker, and that was with buying a couple of pricey programs used (LOE Foundations and RS Math). Of course, I sold at least $150 worth of used curriculum, so I guess that brings me in closer to $350.

 

There is a 10 year age gap between my youngest and the next oldest child, so no, I had not kept any K materials hanging around to reuse. Even with my elder 2 who are only 3 years apart, I didn't end up reusing much, other than literature and history resources, because they were such different learners. So, I usually plan to sell my used stuff and buy new materials for each dc.

[Kerileanne99]

I spend on the high end of the spectrum. I compare the cost to private school, which would be our alternative, and still come out well under that cost for a far better education so I still think I'm doing all right. A few months ago, I put together a detailed cost breakdown at http://everchangingchild.blogspot.com/2015/06/homeschooling-budget.html. It includes things not counted for this thread as well.

Yeah, I have to admit this is much more in line with what we spend. And I don't even consider the last minute stuff...a good book I came across to pad out a topic, materials for projects, sets for sudden rabbit trails. And I also tend to buy stuff ahead as dd seems to suddenly jump ahead in huge leaps, so I am always making purchases that we might use a bit of now, then really dig into later.

Her private school would have been over $7000 per year. If we can stay below that and she is happily learning I am happy too.

[Hunter]

I've lost all my hardcopy books to a horrible roach infestation that hit my high rise apartment building this summer after some road construction disrupted some outside nests. It still isn't under control, so I'm not buying yet.

 

I'm buying myself a new 3G Kindle at some point, but I would buy that for ME even if I wasn't tutoring, so I'm not counting that.

 

The plan is definitely under $250.00

 

Road and Staff English Handbook

 

Strayer-Upton Arithmetic 1-3

 

Merriam Webster Large Print Dictionary

 

NIrV Large Print Bible

 

Ruth Beechick's The Three R's.

 

TWTM

 

Everything else will be ebooks I already own and library books.

Well scratch this list after the phone call I got this morning. :banghead:

 

New list:

 

Strayer-Upton Arithmetic 1-3. $44.85.

[Julie of KY]

First child through elementary I spent about $600 per year.

My second and third, I'd spend about $200 per year.

 

My current 3rd grader, I spend <$100 per year on school supplies as most of what I use I already own and is nonconsumable. My other expense for his school is a $120 Learning Ally subscription.r year as most of

[Wabi Sabi]

Probably about $800 for two children, however, I've actually purchased very little curricula. The bulk of that money is for one WTM Academy class. I purchased a few things for this year, mostly all used books and downloadable PDFs, and otherwise we're able to use materials that I already had in my home library plus use of the the public library. Take away that one online class and our expenditure would be more like $200ish for the year. 

It does not include office supplies per the OP's request, but that is fairly minimal: I buy a big ream (750 pages) of nice, thick paper at Sam's Club a few times a year as needed for about $7/package. A $17 order of generic color ink cartridges lasts us a year for the things we want in color and I can also generally get about a year out of a $50 toner cartridge for our laser printer/copier. I print heavily (lots of curricula like Ellen McHenry books, Math Mammoth, FLL student workbooks on PDF) and pay $2 each to professionally spiral bind workbooks once I print them at home. Pencils: I pick up a $2.99 pack of Ticonderoga at Target every few months as needed. The kids got some nice Lyra colored pencils for about $15 two years ago that are still going strong; scissors, rulers, heavy duty pencil sharpener and such were purchased long ago and haven't needed replaced. 

 

However, once again given what the OP was asking, that figure doesn't include what we pay for music lessons, enrichment class, field trips, foreign language tutor, wilderness skills classes, etc., and I do consider those to be a very integral part of my kids' education. They may be considered extracurricular for some families, but they are things that we do *because* we homeschool: if the kids were in traditional school there just wouldn't be enough time. 

[Desert Strawberry]

This year my younger ones are all using free/handed down materials, so all I'm buying them is paper and crayons. I've spent  about $20 on them so far.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I've spent about $700/year the past two years for my 4 kids. Last year that included LOE Foundations levels A and B for 2 kids. This year it included TWSS and the 7th grade science I need for next year (so that I can go through it first). I would like to cut that down a bit next year. I think I can if I plan early enough to look for things used. I just keep waiting too long and then have to order it all new in order to have it in time.

[ebrindam]

Yeah, I have to admit this is much more in line with what we spend. And I don't even consider the last minute stuff...a good book I came across to pad out a topic, materials for projects, sets for sudden rabbit trails. And I also tend to buy stuff ahead as dd seems to suddenly jump ahead in huge leaps, so I am always making purchases that we might use a bit of now, then really dig into later.

Her private school would have been over $7000 per year. If we can stay below that and she is happily learning I am happy too.

Yeah we're about there too. I set aside $5000 a year for DD's education and consider it cheap since it's a lot less than a private school would be and public is not an option for her!

[LEK]

Somewhere between $250 and $500, some years it is on the lower end or that range and other years on the upper end but generally about $350, that is roughly $200 for child #1 (as I need to buy new teacher manuals for her as she reaches new levels) in addition to student books and activity books, $100 for child #2 to replace student books etc as needed and $50 on stationary which I only buy on super sales. Printing is free as hubby does that for me at his work.

 

I also spend another $100 to $200 on good quality games each year for the kids which is not a homeschool expense as such but they are used in our schooling at times.

[vaquitita]

Nm

Edited December 12, 2015 by vaquitita

[Sk8ermaiden]

I can't be 100% sure. I went through the CC purchases and my Amazon account. It looks like we'll probably be around $850-900 this year. I did include field trips, because they are an educational cost (and schools certainly count them in their budgets), but I would have hit my category without them. 

 

We'll go through 4 ETC books and 2 teacher's guides, all bought secondhand at about $5 each, two semesters of Singapore, textbooks and workbooks bought secondhand for $25 for the year. The HIGs had to be ordered (secondhand) from Amazon for $33. Evan Moore language workbook for $7.50 (secondhand? not sure.) Math and science manipulatives/equipment about $100 (so far.) The $40 in ink will probably last me two years (I invested in an efficient printer and buy generic ink) and I have a huge box of printer paper that will last me forever. Field trips planned specifically for our units are about $100.

 

And if I needed to be thriftier, that $300 is all I would truly need to spend. But we have museum memberships, just for fun field trips, memberships with local homeschool organizations, and I am allergic to the library - it ends up costing me far more in fines and replacement fees than I could ever hope to save and that dates back to elementary school, so I doubt it will ever change. Plus I am a book hoarder and really value having a great home library, We will use these books again and again. I order books like crazy, though I always buy the cheapest used ones I can. When B requires schooling, the library, manipulatives and equipment will be here, and his cost per year will be significantly lower. 

 

I feel like coming in at around $1,000 for a really phenomenal, customized education is a bargain. The good private schools here are over $15K a year. 

[shawthorne44]

I am of the "as long as it is cheaper than private school camp".  Although, there are many things that my brain puts under the home school category, that I'd buy anyway if she were in school.   So, they probably shouldn't be.  Things like a great many games, some of which have an educational benefit.  Although, if she were in school we might not have the time or energy to play them.  

I'd still buy lots of office supplies, because that pleases me.  

We'd still probably have memberships to the zoo and butterfly house and aquarium because they are so great.  

We'd still probably read a wagon-load of books, because ... books.  

I guess homeschooling just makes it easier to justify the purchases to myself.  

 

 

[pehp]

I am over $750. Math is about $100, language arts $400, science class $600, and then lotsa books. ;) Next year LA will likely be less (different plans). It beats private school, so I am happy.

 

Not counting science would be under $750, but it is totally outsourced to a great school, so I count it as our core. In the past we have spent much less, and I have lots of reusable things for my daughter!