So, you are choosing to homeschool this school year, huh? You’ve made a great choice, and I promise you will not regret it! However, when families choose to homeschool, they often go from two incomes to one, which can be super challenging! You may be wondering just how you will afford all of the school supplies, resources, homeschool curriculum, and more! Don’t worry. I have come up with a list of tips for homeschooling on a budget.
6 Tips for Homeschooling on a Budget
You don’t homeschool for over 10 years and not figure out a cheaper way to get it all done! This list of tricks will help you get started and make homeschooling on a budget a little easier!
#1: Check the Public School Website
Now, I know this sounds kind of crazy since you are probably homeschooling your children. Why would you want to do what the public school is doing? You could just send them there for free. Many public schools post the curriculum or unit studies they use in each grade level on their website. You can find read-alouds they may use, science topics they cover, or chapter books middle school/high school students need to read. You obviously do not need to copy and paste the curriculum into your homeschool schedule, but it does give you a free jumping-off point to know where to start with your child.
#2: Used Book Stores/Library Book Sales
If your child is in preschool or has been attending public school, you may not have a massive collection of books. Check out some used book stores or library book sales to stock up. Websites like Mercari often have great books available at awesome prices as well! If you are looking for a completely FREE option, make sure each member of your family who is being homeschooled and is old enough has a library card. Every Monday, head to the library and grab some new books for the week. You can often find some cheap homeschool books and topic-specific books for learning there too!
#3: Free Printables
Head to the internet once you have decided on a curriculum or what topics you want to cover during the year! Free is the best word when homeschooling on a tight budget, and you can find a TON of them on different websites. Many websites like Teachers Pay Teachers have people who work year-round making beautiful printables to help you teach. The Relaxed Homeschool has a full page of free resources for you to use as well. Just click here!
#4: Free Online Curriculums/Programs
There are many free curriculum resources and programs you can use with your child on the computer to help get you started in the right direction. Khan Academy has free online courses and resources for homeschool students. Prodigy Math Game is a fantastic game where students solve math problems while also battling other students. You can buy a membership to give your children more benefits, but it is totally unnecessary. There are plenty more options online for affordable homeschooling online curriculums, and many even offer a discount for homeschooling families! The Relaxed Homeschool has plenty of curriculums and programs available for homeschooling on a budget.
#5: Field Trips
Depending on where you live, you may have places like museums, petting zoos, play places, etc., that are free, offer weekday discounts, or have homeschool packages. These are great places to visit and still save money. Kids love field trips, even if it is just to the park to explore and look for different ways animals hibernate or birds build nests.
#6: Reusable Homeschooling Materials
When you first start homeschooling, the cost to homeschool may seem like a lot! Many parents need to buy school supplies like easels, workbooks, crayons/markers, organizational bins/cabinets, desks/tables, and more. The homeschool budget may become a little tight! Try finding reusable materials right at the beginning. This way, you are not wasting anything.
Try whiteboards instead of buying a ton of blank paper or lined paper. They have primary lined whiteboards, plain whiteboards, whiteboards with number lines, and grid whiteboards. Use socks instead of erasers to save even more money in your homeschool budget. You can also make quick folders out of large construction paper, or leftover wrapping paper, tissue paper, or other recyclable materials for different art and science projects.
Homeschooling on a Budget
Many people think homeschooling is easy peasy, but it takes a lot of work to figure out the cost of homeschooling, find a budget friendly homeschool curriculum, and find the time to plan and implement a new way of learning for children. Homeschooling on a budget may seem challenging, but once you find your way around the homeschool world, it becomes much more manageable!
