Homeschool budget question: how do you handle it?

[Emba]

So I have an amount, which is quite ample for the things I've decided I need for next year.  I've already bought a few things, used up about a quarter of the budget.  I'm thinking I will not try to use the whole thing up right at the beginning next year, in case we have to change horses midstream on anything.  I want to save a good bit of budget (maybe half?) for unexpected things that come up, field trips, etc. plus I think (hope!) we'll be getting into another math level partway through the year.  I haven't bought that one, but I have bought the one I plan to do as soon as we finish this year's math.

 

But how would you handle this: buy most of what you need now, to have plenty of prep time over the summer (during which we will do a teensy bit of math and reading so as not to lose momentum)?  Buy closer to the beginning of the fall semester?  After the semester begins?   Any other conceivable combination of choices?  I must admit, part of me wants to hold on and avoid spending it until I really, really need to.  I have issues. :)

 

Also, do you personally find all of the hunting and pecking to find used books worthwhile?  I am trying to get a used Rod and Staff Math for 5th grade together, and it's been so much trouble.  I have the teacher books, and finally got what i thought was the student book today, only to find it was the first half of the teacher's manual.  Grrr.  I'm about to break down and just buy it new, they're not that expensive. 

[Bluegoat]

I don't really set a budget.  I decide what I'd like, and see if I can afford it.  Then I find alternates for what is unaffordable.

 

As far as searching for used things - I'm willing to put some effort into this but not a ton.  Once I have my initial list, and also some alternate ideas, I keep that in mind when I look in places I could find used things.  I tend to go for places that I can count on to carry the right kinds of things - homeschoolers used book fairs in my local area, or the used section of a company I often order from anyway.  I'll look a little farther for something really expensive.

 

I also keep an eye out for things at the thrift store - more for novels and books rather than curriculum, but I have found some things I wanted for very cheap.  I mostly go to those places every few months to look for a variety of things, I don't make a special trip for books.

[Bluegoat]

Oh - I almost always buy in a few lots through the summer.  Mostly to spread the cost out, but also to give options for returns and such if things are clearly not suitable.  I buy the most important reasources first and save easier to come by or less important things for closer to the school year.

[Catalytic]

I can't really speak to the budget part, because if I decide we need something for HS, we're going to get it, whether it suits the budget or not.

 

BUT...the hunt and peck...I get frustrated with that for sure.  I recently (last week) discovered my teens have some gaps in math and language arts that I want to try to find and fill.  After doing some reading, I decided to try to fill them with Life of Fred, rather than try to jump through a bunch of different grade level books.  I read somewhere (on the LoF website maybe) to backtrack if your students had used certain other math problems (Saxon was one of them), and quickly do some previous LoF books.  Since I had the Elementary set sitting here for my 6 yr old, I started my high schoolers at Apples  :blushing:  (the way I figure, it can't hurt them!).  I got on eBay and found a lot of books that had most of the Pre-Algebra/Algebra.  Except after I paid for the eBay stuff, I realized I can't buy one of the books it's missing separately, AND the titles don't mesh up correctly to the LoF website  :banghead:   I suspect different copyright years or something.  (This is why it's a bad idea to eBay at 2am)  So I had to order most of the stuff I bought on eBay new anyway, sigh.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

In spite of financial struggles over the years, I only buy used if I absolutely have to. I want unmarked books in good condition, and I don't want to work for pennies on the dollar to scrounge for them...my time is worth more than that. Also, shipping on books and materials is so high that it's rarely worth it. And people lie about the condition of used workbooks and teacher's guides.

 

My preferred frugal strategies include finding a philosophy and sticking with it, buying whole books used instead of trying to find used teacher guides and lesson plans, and choosing non-consumables whenever possible. These methods have resulted in a much smaller cost-per-pupil over the years, because I have four children who have all used many of the same books!

 

Charlotte Mason's philosophy and WTM methodology have saved me a lot of money. I just need really, really, really good books, for the most part, and then I teach the children how to study them. I spend more on science and math, and I do buy Rod and Staff teacher's manuals and textbooks, but again, I used them three or four times.

[PeachyDoodle]

I don't spend a lot of time hunting for bargains, but I do follow a few Facebook groups, etc. so I keep abreast of what's out there. Since I generally have a good idea by January of what we will be needing for the upcoming fall, I try to buy along if/when good deals pop up. Then I buy the rest of what we need over the summer. I am not really one to change horses mid-stream, though. We stick out the year and change the following fall if necessary.

 

ETA: I agree with Tibbie -- sticking with a philosophy helps. Our school is structured more around my ideas of what my children's education should be than theirs, IFKWIM. I can't think of anything I've bought for dd that I'm not planning to use again with ds. And non-consumables help too.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2016 by PeachyDoodle

[regentrude]

I don't set a budget. I homeschool very inexpensively and buy things when I need them. Buying things in the anticipation that I might want to use them later is usually a waste. The only exception: I wait for TC courses until they are on sale and buy the ones I think I am going to use the coming year.

I don't have anything to prep over the summer. My prep is the research which materials to use.

With the exception of math books, I have bought almost everything used.

Edited May 4, 2016 by regentrude

[Jean in Newcastle]

Do you have a homeschool consignment shop in the area?  I find that actually looking at materials helps a lot in making decisions as well as avoiding problems like getting the wrong book from an online seller. 

 

Also- I can get a lot of books from our library esp. for elementary. 

[heartlikealion]

We don't set a budget. I just pick things out as the need/want for them arises assuming they are affordable. I remember one year I wanted a phonics game and the Ring Around the Phonics game was soooo expensive I kept hunting til I found an alternative. I am very happy with my alternative and I want to recommend it to others, but for some reason I never see it for sale. I tried posting a review of the item 2-3x and it never appeared on the website (Barnes and Noble). So strange.

 

In the past if I really want something sometimes I'll save up swagbucks and use that toward the item. I've also done this with Shopkick. I earn a few bucks here and there. When it's time to buy the item the price tag doesn't seem so bad.

 

For other things I sometimes just make them. I made my own phonogram tiles and I think I'm much happier with them than I would be with the ones sold on AAS. Mine are made of craft foam and cardstock with a magnet on the back. I like how they are easy to handle.

[AK_Mom4]

I buy in groups over the summer. I try to group items together based on subject (history books in one order, math in a separate one) so I can start looking over a subject once the order comes in.

 

Now that we are doing high school, I try to pre-read everything except math. For math I try to work the problems a week in advance so I stay just ahead of DD.

 

I rarely use my whole budget, but it's nice to have some left for extras in February if I need.

Edited May 4, 2016 by AK_Mom4

[Arcadia]

I buy used from used bookstores and from library book sales whatever catch my fancy. I don't like to buy used sight unseen.

 

I don't have a budget, I just buy books and sign my kids up for academic classes as and when we need to. My home is small so I prefer not to buy in advance as that would take up floor space, I had run out of bookshelve space. We have to use and throw most curriculum keeping only what is useful as reference.

[Farrar]

I try to buy as close to using things as possible. If I know I'm going to be using things down the road, I will sometimes buy if there's a sale or I'll get the next level up to save on shipping from Rainbow Resource or something, but I think a lot of people jump the gun and buy a ton of stuff at the start of their year even though they know they won't get to it until later on. I try to wait on that stuff.

[carriede]

I try to buy a year ahead to take advantage of sales when they pop up, especially Black Friday. It works fine now since the kids are young, but I don't know if that will work in the future.

 

I also buy used, but the only effort I put into that is buying used on Amazon and Homeschool Classifieds. Again, this probably won't work as well in the future. ..

Edited May 4, 2016 by carriede

[texasmama]

I don't really have a budget.  I buy what we need as affordably as possible.  I buy used quite a bit but look for texts/books in good condition.  I would buy Rod and Staff new because it is cheap.  I purchase ahead for the next year, spreading purchases out.  I teach a co-op class in exchange for free classes for my kids. We don't use the library.  I reuse curricula whenever possible. Most of our programs have been through three kids now.  I have been making a list and buying things for next year for several months, and I have 90% of what we need already.  I knew we would not be changing programs, though.  Last year, I started the year with little dd and two months in, I changed her math and her spelling.  I didn't worry about the waste of money.  I just needed to find what worked for my kid, which was different than what worked for the other two kids.  We are continuing to use those new programs, and she will use the next level next year.  I do a lot of research before buying, and after 8 years of homeschooling, I pretty much know the programs and what will work for my kids.

[Ali in OR]

I want to have everything in house by early summer so I can do some planning. Over the summer I plan the beginning of the year through Christmas break (almost half the year), over Christmas break I plan January through spring break (11 weeks this year), over spring break I plan the end of the year (only 4-8 weeks--some subjects end earlier than others). I don't really make curriculum changes midstream.

 

Money comes in regularly--$100 per month deposited in a separate account for home schooling. The first year was more challenging in that I didn't have the money upfront to buy huge amounts early, but kindergarten was pretty cheap and I could get everything I needed to get started. Lots of that budget went to building the home library over the years--that wasn't time critical in kindergarten. By the second year I had enough saved to get everything in spring. We're going into our last year of home schooling and at this point I don't need to buy much.

[Emba]

I buy used from used bookstores and from library book sales whatever catch my fancy. I don't like to buy used sight unseen.

 

I don't have a budget, I just buy books and sign my kids up for academic classes as and when we need to. My home is small so I prefer not to buy in advance as that would take up floor space, I had run out of bookshelve space. We have to use and throw most curriculum keeping only what is useful as reference.

 

Our house is not tiny, but is still small, so the space is an issue, too.  But I'm torn because I do feel like this semester (my first homeschooling) I didn't get to plan enough, and it showed.

[Emba]

Do you have a homeschool consignment shop in the area?  I find that actually looking at materials helps a lot in making decisions as well as avoiding problems like getting the wrong book from an online seller. 

 

Also- I can get a lot of books from our library esp. for elementary. 

 

I wish we had a homeschool consignment shop!  I've just been hounding other homeschooling friends to show me their curriculum.  It has been helpful to see things in person.  It does nothing, obviously, to prevent getting the wrong item from an internet seller. :(

[Bluegoat]

As far as used sight unseen - really I would rather see anything first, even if new.  T've even ordered novels that I thought would be great based on my research, but they turned out to be stinkers.

 

But with used, if it's sight-unseen, I stick to a few places where I know comments on condition will be accurate.

[Bluegoat]

I wish we had a homeschool consignment shop!  I've just been hounding other homeschooling friends to show me their curriculum.  It has been helpful to see things in person.  It does nothing, obviously, to prevent getting the wrong item from an internet seller. :(

 

A fun way to do this can be to have a little gathering with cofee and snacks, and ask people to bring their stuff.  Not just what they want to get rid of, but things so others can have a peek before buying or ordering from elsewhere.

[PeachyDoodle]

I wish we had a homeschool consignment shop!  I've just been hounding other homeschooling friends to show me their curriculum.  It has been helpful to see things in person.  It does nothing, obviously, to prevent getting the wrong item from an internet seller. :(

 

Do you have any major conferences nearby? Our state homeschooling organization puts on a conference every year with a huge curriculum fair. Hundreds of vendors are there, and you can buy a pass just to go to the fair if you don't want to go to the rest of the conference. It's a reasonable price and it lets you look at lots of different things in person, ask the publishers questions, etc.

[J-rap]

We didn't set a budget, but we usually spent around $500/year for five children without trying too hard to stay within budget.  I would usually spread it out a bit, but aimed for having everything by August so that I'd have time to prepare.   Of course many of the higher-end curriculums we would use for all of the children eventually, so we didn't need to purchase them new every year.

[HomeAgain]

My budget is pretty small.  At this stage of the game I prioritize. 

 

1.  Look for free.  What free curriculum is there?  What does my library have? 

2.  Look for flexible.  What demands I use a set group of books and what gives me leeway?  If I can't find "the Usborne Book of Spiders" will a Scholastic book give us the same information?

3.  Look for cheap.  I don't mess with online sales unless it's through Amazon or I really, REALLY want it.  We have a library sale and homeschoolers' sale here, along with a clearance section at the teacher's store.

4.  Buy a semester at a time.  I buy what we'll need through Dec.  That gives me a little bit of budget leeway to see if we want to stick with it or move on, and it lets me plan more effectively.

5.  Buy new - student workbooks, things with small parts, things with consumable parts.

[ScoutTN]

I have a budget number in mind, but it is not hard and fast.

I have an excellent library and a great used book store nearby. I use these, Homeschool Classifieds and Amazon. Really not much work or hassle. 

I have often saved $150 or more in a year over the cost of buying new. That may not be a lot to some families, but it really helps for us. I have never received a book in poor condition when buying from HSC or Amazon third party merchants. Sometimes I do purchase directly from the publisher - when the product is not available elsewhere (WP items) or I want to support them with the extra dollars they get from the direct purchase. (SWB's books, for instance. :D ) 

 

As others have said, I try to choose really nice books and non-consumables that both of my kids will use. 

 

 

 

[Catalytic]

There is plenty of free curriculum if someone is on a super tight budget (free to the point you could HS for the price of school supplies for PS if needed).  Time4Learning is fairly low cost, and doesn't require a large outlay, as well.  Not perfect for those who like to choose and tweak, but if someone was desperate, they could do it.

 

Back when I started HS before the 'net was quite so large and with so many resources, there was a fantastic book about how to HS for free.  I don't know if it's been updated in recent years or not.  It was revised in 2009, but is probably quite out of date now as far as Internet resources, but might still be applicable for other sources.

[heartlikealion]

There is plenty of free curriculum if someone is on a super tight budget (free to the point you could HS for the price of school supplies for PS if needed).  Time4Learning is fairly low cost, and doesn't require a large outlay, as well.  Not perfect for those who like to choose and tweak, but if someone was desperate, they could do it.

 

Back when I started HS before the 'net was quite so large and with so many resources, there was a fantastic book about how to HS for free.  I don't know if it's been updated in recent years or not.  It was revised in 2009, but is probably quite out of date now as far as Internet resources, but might still be applicable for other sources.

 

Lol I use Time4Learning and other things. T4L is $20/mo. I print many of the worksheets. I've been going through the reading list for next year, which will be the first time the program asks me to get outside books. I know many people go without, but I think we'll try to include them. Otherwise you'd need to skip those lessons or modify them. We use the program's Language Arts, LA Extensions and science. There are two sciences right now that we can access. The T4L science and their new addition which is Science4Us (K-3 grades only). Might eventually try the social studies again. We ditched their math. The other programs we use are pretty inexpensive and I usually buy during sales (ie. Math Mammoth, Elemental History). A lot of my stuff is in PDF format so I can reuse with dd later.

[mamiof5]

No budget here either. No idea how much we spend since I make different purchases through the year. And fieldtrips?? Yeah, no idea. I do try to save a lot, buy used (when cost effective), don't write on our books (for most part) so they can be passed to the next kid to use it etc.

[shinyhappypeople]

I don't have a specific budget.  I buy what we need throughout the year as we can afford it.  This summer we're buying math (2 levels of TT, ouch) and science (maybe history, too).  Otherwise, we're just keeping on keeping on with what we're using now.  At some point next fall I'll be getting the next level of Winston Grammar and in the spring another level of TT.

 

Sometimes buying used pays off, but only if there's a significant discount, like 40% or more.  Otherwise I buy new.  My best used finds are on amazon marketplace.

[MEmama]

I don't set a budget. I homeschool very inexpensively and buy things when I need them. Buying things in the anticipation that I might want to use them later is usually a waste. The only exception: I wait for TC courses until they are on sale and buy the ones I think I am going to use the coming year.

I don't have anything to prep over the summer. My prep is the research which materials to use.

With the exception of math books, I have bought almost everything used.

This.

 

Except I have been buying math texts used; I've found really great deals on both Jacobs Algebra and Geometry on eBay. The short amount of searching was definitely worth the money saved.

 

We don't use many resources or curriculum hop. I generally buy what I'll need for the upcoming year and stick with it.

[EmseB]

I plan for the year, add stuff up and ask DH if I can get it all. If he doesn't flinch, I buy it. If he does flinch, I don't know, because that hasn't happened yet. He always says something like, "well that sounds reasonable for putting two kids through school for a year".

[3 ladybugs]

I let my husband worry about it. I know that sounds cold, but I realized last week that is what I do.

 

Last week we had our youngest (2.75) in group swim classes. He had been swimming for almost 2 years now in mommy and me classes. He was doing well and last session I bumped him up to the highest level of baby classes. Well that class wasn't offered this session so I put him in a preschool class (not mommy and me). He did well but he wasn't in the water at all (5 minutes of a 30 minute class). I wasn't happy but realized the teacher did the best she could. I looked our options and our options were to keep him where he was, take him out of swim entirely, or put him in private lessons. Private lessons were the best for him out of the choices. So I told DH and he told me he would figure out a way to pay for it. It made me nervous but he said that is a better deal with instruction time anyway. 

 

My husband has said that school is very important and we will do what we need to do to make sure our sons have a proper education. So right now my baby is costing us a lot (private swim classes and Mother Goose Time, roughly $150 a month) but I am sure that one day my oldest will cost us a lot. Hopefully they will not both cost us a lot at the same time. 

 

I don't typically purchased used unless I know we will not use it much or the deal is too great to pass up. 

Edited May 4, 2016 by 3 ladybugs

[Rebel Yell]

We don't have a budget because our needs change from year to year. But I have learned the hard way to buy things as soon as I know what I'll be using and I have the money.

 

Otherwise, a major car repair pops up and we can't buy history books until November. 😡 We'd find a way to fix the car, but the books seem to get pushed back a paycheck or two.

[TammyS]

Whether or not to buy used books boils down to whether it will save me money or not.  If it will save a big chunk, or if I stumble upon it used and like the condition/price, then I will buy used.  But I won't spend a huge amount of time looking for something that will save me very little money. 

 

I also really don't do a lot of curriculum changing.  Personally, I think it's one of the bad habits of too many homeschoolers, this constant switching of materials.  It seems to come about either because mom has a wandering eye and buys things that "look neat" when she sees them, or because the kids whine about doing their work and mom is hoping that a new curriculum will make them like doing work.  I think I've changed out curriculums mid-year 1 time, and that was really only after a couple of weeks of trying to work with a program that was just more effort than it was worth. 

[T'smom]

I wish we had a homeschool consignment shop! I've just been hounding other homeschooling friends to show me their curriculum. It has been helpful to see things in person. It does nothing, obviously, to prevent getting the wrong item from an internet seller. :(

Our co-op had a mom's night out where we all brought snacks and our curriculum and we browsed through each other's stuff. It was awesome!

[TammyinTN]

Each year in May we would sit down and decide what classes we were going to do and which program...I would do my buying May/June and then I had time to make lesson plans, test and figure out our field trip schedule and extra curr. plans.    This works very well for our family. 

Edited May 4, 2016 by TammyinVA

[Ausmumof3]

Ideally we'd have a budget where I buy the specific box package I want at the beginning of the year with enough over for consummable workbooks and the odd cool thing that comes up. Realistically I cobble together what I can from online or hand me down resources and the library and buy new only when I really can't figure out any other way. Shipping costs here are a killer. Singapore for two kids costs over $300 per year, though I got second hand textbooks this year so it's not quite as bad.

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I have a separate account for homeschool needs and DH usually transfers our agreed-upon amount into it in mid-summer. I like to buy as soon as I can so as to begin planning. 

[Garga]

I buy in groups, as others have said, but I need to have it bought before summer. There's a curriculum fair around here in April, so I usually have all choices made by then.

 

I check prices on Amazon (including S&H) and jot that down next to what I want. When I go to the fair, I only buy what will be cheaper there than on Amazon. This fair doesn't have much used.

 

After April, I try to buy everything by mid-June. I spend the summer getting super familiar with the material and coming up with a plan to implement it. This wasn't such a big deal in the beginning, but as the kids get older, it becomes more of a big deal. YMMV. I am very teacher intensive, so I need to be on the ball in order to teach 7 or 8 different subjects.

 

This year, I have realized I should be checking out the somewhat local homeschool used-curric store. I wish I'd thought of it before the fair, but I didn't. It's about a 45 minute drive away and they're only open in the middle of the day on Wednesday or something. Very irritating because I homeschool in the middle of the day on Wed, but whatever.

 

This year I'll try to get out to that store before I buy on Amazon or from the curric's website.

 

I am blessed that I don't have a specific budget. But I'm also bent to be thrifty, so I just have an innate sense of how not to overspend. This year I'm about dying at the cost of outsources some classes. Yikes! So expensive!

 

If I had to stick to a tight budget, I would do as you do and leave room to fix mistakes. And also would do my best to see the curric in person. I'd say that over the years about 20-30% (so 1/4 to 1/3) of my choices have completely changed once I saw something in person.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Garga

[SparklyUnicorn]

I buy little by little and as needed.  We are all over the place with where we are at.  So when we are nearly done with something I'm on the lookout for the next thing.  Sometimes I buy something long before I plan to use it so I can have time to read it. 

 

I don't really have a budget though.  I suspect I'd spend more if I did.  The absolute most expensive thing I've bought which has surpassed the cost of anything ever in that realm is IEW.  Nothing else was anywhere near that expensive.  Although with that it can be used for several years so it was only more money upfront, but not overall more money.

 

 

 

 

[texasmama]

Yes, outsourcing is our biggest expense and now that I have two kids doing high school level work, it adds up. I find it well worth it, though, and necessary for me and my kids.

[Emba]

I also really don't do a lot of curriculum changing.  Personally, I think it's one of the bad habits of too many homeschoolers, this constant switching of materials.  It seems to come about either because mom has a wandering eye and buys things that "look neat" when she sees them, or because the kids whine about doing their work and mom is hoping that a new curriculum will make them like doing work.  I think I've changed out curriculums mid-year 1 time, and that was really only after a couple of weeks of trying to work with a program that was just more effort than it was worth. 

 

It is my goal not to change curriculum, especially in midstream, but I don't rule it out because we did have a couple of things that just didn't work for us this year.  Some things will never be fun, yes, which is why I'm sticking with Math Mammoth this year until we finish it up, and then I'm changing.  But some things are a whole 'nother level, like banging my head into a wall.  I have a couple of books I bought this semester that just didn't work for where my DD is and what she's actually capable of right now, and I slogged through them with DD for longer than I should have because I wanted to get my money's worth.

 

I am, however, very prone to "ooh, look, shiny!", which is why I have a budget. :)  I may not intend to change, just supplement, and it all adds up...

[J&JMom]

As I look forward to our 4th year homeschooling, I start my planning for next year around January. I consider my inventory and figure what I need, especially for the oldest as many materials get reused by the youngest (though not always as oldest skipped a year in math and reading).  Then I keep a wish list on Amazon and watch for sales there or on eBay.  I use mainly public school textbooks in outdated editions, so I can get them rather cheaply. My textbooks for next year are already purchased except for AoPS Algebra, which never goes on sale or at enough of a discount to bother with used, so I'll buy that closer to the start of the year. Now, textbooks and teacher manuals make up only about 20% of my budget. The rest is supplies, supplements, books for our home library, equipment, etc. Those are purchased as needed. And my budget is a lot larger than most of those here.  My school supplies budget alone is more than some entire school budgets. For example, I spent probably $200 on art supplies this year including easels, paper, paint, brushes, clay, paint boards, screen printing and other craft supplies, and don't get me started on science stuff :) YMMV.

[TammyS]

 

 

I am, however, very prone to "ooh, look, shiny!", which is why I have a budget. :)  I may not intend to change, just supplement, and it all adds up...

 

Maybe what you need is a supplement budget that is separate from your curriculum budget?

[Joyofsixreboot]

We are pretty eclectic and I don't do a ton of planning. I know our general direction and will line up our math and LA. I will look at book lists and decide what we will read and see if they are available. If not I'll change books. I almost exclusively first try the library, then used sales, then used on the Internet. I buy very, very little. I don't have a set budget but our money doesn't stretch far ever so tiny would best describe it. YMMV

Edited May 4, 2016 by joyofsix

[Catalytic]

Lol I use Time4Learning and other things. T4L is $20/mo. I print many of the worksheets. I've been going through the reading list for next year, which will be the first time the program asks me to get outside books. I know many people go without, but I think we'll try to include them. Otherwise you'd need to skip those lessons or modify them. We use the program's Language Arts, LA Extensions and science. There are two sciences right now that we can access. The T4L science and their new addition which is Science4Us (K-3 grades only). Might eventually try the social studies again. We ditched their math. The other programs we use are pretty inexpensive and I usually buy during sales (ie. Math Mammoth, Elemental History). A lot of my stuff is in PDF format so I can reuse with dd later.

 

I'm kinda aggravated with T4L's math right now, and a *little* with their LA (tho the LA is likely more my fault, I'm not real big on harping on things that are never used outside of a school setting).  We've jumped around several times with curriculum but we did T4L for almost 5 years straight, and my 17 and 18 have some math gaps I'm not sure where are.  (Did CAT last week and they were all over the place for math)  I really like T4L overall, it's been super nice with how many moves we've made in the past 5 years to not have to lug stuff around while traveling and on vacations.  Just a few laptops and we were good.

 

But, I do consider them a very good option, especially for a tight budget since they don't require that huge outlay up front and the monthly is cheap compared to other online curricula.