One of the things I strive to do each year is to make and stick to a homeschool budget. With the start of a new calendar year, I begin thinking about what we’ll be using in our next school year. We won’t start our new school year until August, but I spend the winter months researching for the year ahead.
I’ve written about this topic before on my other blog, but I want to share some tips with you. Homeschooling does not have to cost a fortune. It is very possible to do it very inexpensively – even free, if necessary. Make a list of what you plan to teach each child for the upcoming year, and then use the tips below to purchase your curriculum as inexpensively as possible.
How to Stick to a Homeschool Budget
Look at what you already have.
This is my 14th year of homeschooling. Over the years, I have accumulated quite a collection of homeschool materials. Each year, when I begin preparing for the upcoming year, I pull out my homeschool totes from the basement. I sort through the books and materials to see what I already have for the next grade. I set aside anything that is the right grade or topic {Am History or chemistry} for my plans for the year. It might make it easier to budget if you had more money free to add to your budget. My friend decided to use energy comparison online to save some money for her homeschool budget, it might be something worth giving a go but I digress.
From that pile, I set aside things I don’t want to use this year. Sometimes, what I used with one child isn’t a good fit for another one. Sometimes, the materials don’t fit our cycle {for history and science, for example}. Maybe my middle son studied biology in 5th grade, but my daughter wants to study chemistry. The things I know I won’t use again – ever – go in a box to be sold. The rest goes right back in the tote for next year’s evaluation.
Then, I update my list by noting what I have that will work for the upcoming year. Do I need any supplemental materials – science supplies, living books, a new consumable workbook for a text we’ll use. I now add these items to my list so that I can purchase all {or most} of our supplemental materials at the beginning of the year.
Can you buy used or find freebies?
From there, I start searching online. Are there free online literature guides that I can use? What about free notebooking pages, printables or lapbooks? Has a fellow blogger created a schedule for a particular curriculum that is on my list? Are there any free curriculum sites that will fit our course of study for the year? If so, start marking things off of your master list by listing the site where each item can be found. Create a Pinterest board dedicated to the upcoming school year so you have all of your information in one place.
After you’ve found all of the freebies that you can, start searching for used curriculum. In addition to yard sales and Sites like the ones I’ve listed below sell used curriculum or have a classified section where you can search for the curriculum on your wish list:
- Abe Books
- Exodus Books
- Homeschool Classifieds
- VegSource
- Paperback Swap
- Well Trained Mind Forum – This is where I buy and sell the bulk of my used curriculum.
What do you have left to purchase?
Now that you’ve gone through what you already have and you’ve searched high and low for free or used items, reevaluate your list. What do you have left to purchase? Are the items left on your list must-haves? Or are they wants? How much do you have left in your homeschool budget?
Start with your most-needed supplies, and purchase those first if you still have money in the budget. Then, continue to work your way down that list until you are out of money. At this point, hopefully, you have purchased all or most of your must-haves. Hopefully, you’ve saved quite a bit of money along the way.
Here are some more articles you may enjoy about sticking to a homeschool budget:
- Homeschooling on a Shoestring Budget
- Ten Free Sites I Use in My Homeschool
- Could I Homeschool for Free?
- Free Homeschool Helps
- Free Resources for Homeschoolers
- Free Homeschool Printables
- Virtual Field Trips for Your Homeschool
- Huge List of Free Homeschool Printable Sites
What tips do you have for sticking to a homeschool budget?
And, stay out of the book stores and hobby shops! Or maybe that one’s just for me 🙂
Most definitely!! 🙂 It’s not just you!
Good tips…. these are things we do to keep the budget… sure helps. Thank you, 🙂
I budget like crazy (even though I don’t homeschool) and that’s how I pay for private school.
Giftie Etcetera.
Great info for homeschoolers here! Thanks so much for coming over to the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again on Friday!
I join the Schoolhouse Review Crew? LOL Seriously, about 90% of what we use comes from the Crew. When I purchase, I look to see what can be handed down (even with different learning styles, a movie is the same from kid to kid). Also, depending on what it is, I search using ” (the website) coupons” in the search engine (use Swagbucks!). Yesterday I found coupon codes for Great Courses that gave me 80% off most of the courses I ordered PLUS another 10% on top!
Great advice!! I’m on the Crew, and a lot of what we use comes from there. I never thought to search for vendor coupons before making a purchase. I will have to remember that for next year.
I use my library a lot!
We do, too! I typically only purchase readers that will be used long-term. The rest I try to get from the library.
When we were abroad we had an VERY limited budget for homeschooling for several years as well as an extremely limited amount of space and weight in our suitcases. I learned LOTS about budgeting! Don’t forget a good used book store for ideas/materials on unit studies.
I love our local Half-Price Books. It saves me money every year!