Homeschool Curriculum: How I Homeschool for $250 a Year!
Can you really homeschool cheaply and find a solid curriculum? Yes, you can!
Or must you break the bank to ensure your child gets the best homeschool curriculum? Why yes you can! I am about to share with you how I homeschool (middle school) two children under $250 (Canadian dollars) a year.
We currently covered 10 subjects give or take last year. I have spent and continue to spend lots of time combing the internet for solid resources that work well with our homeschool plan of attack. These tips along with my 3 favorite resources save me money!
Instead of keeping them all to myself, I am going to share with you how I cut costs and still have amazing resources to use. Let’s save some money!
Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Homeschool Curriculum Saving Money Tips!
One question you need to ask as a working homeschool mom when it comes to homeschool curriculum is do you have more time or money?
I break it down in this video:
Choosing HomeschoolCurriculum:
When choosing a curriculum make sure to consider you, your child, your family and then your homeschool.
There are many factors to consider, the price being one of them. You can read about the other 7 questions I consider. Beat the overwhelm one step at a time.
Tip 1: Compare prices, and wait for sales!
The history program my children love contains a textbook and a workbook each, this is where a huge chunk of my budget goes. ($60-90+ CND) So I wait for Amazon.ca to have a free shipping sale, and/or wait until the product goes on sale itself. I also cross check with my other Christain Book to see if I can get it cheaper there.
Story of the World, Vol. 4 Bundle, Revised Edition: The Modern Age: Text, Activity Book, and Test & Answer Key
Story of the World, Vol. 2 Bundle: The Middle Ages; Text, Activity Book, and Test & Answer KeyStory of the World, Text Bundle, Paperback Revised Edition: History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times through The Modern Age
I’m committed to being a loyal shopper, but at the same time, saving money is important. That’s why I recommend checking not only Amazon and eBay for second-hand items, but also online stores like Christianbook.com. You never know what kind of deals you might find!
Tip 2: Invest in subscription sites!
Looking for new ways to save money on your homeschooling journey? Consider investing in subscription sites like SchoolhouseTeachers.com and Time4Learning.
I recently shared my personal review of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, and I found that it offers a great value for the cost. You can pay monthly or yearly, depending on your preference, and the price doesn’t change based on the number of children you have. With over 300 online programs, it’s definitely worth checking out. Click on the banner below for more information!
Another subscription site that many people recommend for a complete homeschool curriculum is Time4Learning. While I personally found it challenging to use during my one-month trial, many of my readers rave about it. Give it a try and see if it’s a good fit for your family!
Tip 3: Find quality resources online, for free!
There are tons and tons of free websites out there. (Read over 40+ Here)The hard part is knowing if they are worth spending time on. So how do you know? You ask someone who uses it!
Easy Peasy For grades 8- and she has a complete High School website as well. If you have the time, comb through and see what you can find. Trust me!
Tip 4: Reuse what you can
Trying to save money while homeschooling multiple children? Consider reusing materials whenever possible.
Instead of buying new workbooks for each child, I save money by having them write out the answers on loose-leaf paper (which I buy on sale for only $0.10 per bundle). This not only helps them practice their handwriting, but also eliminates the need to purchase workbooks for them to write in. Of course, I do make exceptions for certain subjects like History and English/Writing courses, for which I purchased workbooks this year.
Tip 5: Pay for quality, saving money in the end.
While I’m all for saving money, there are certain things that I refuse to buy at the dollar store or cheap knock-off brands. Crayons and pencils are two such items, for which I will only buy Crayola crayons and Dixon Ticonderoga pencils.
Since discovering the Ticonderoga brand, we no longer have to deal with broken pencils, wasted time sharpening them, or constantly buying new ones. This has eliminated the frustration of trying to write and having the pencil break every few minutes. Needless to say, it was a learning experience we do not wish to repeat.
Ticonderoga Pencils, Pre-Sharpened, #2 Soft Lead, Yellow Barrel, Box Of 12Dixon Ticonderoga Wood-Cased #2 Pencils, Case of 72, BlackCrayola Washable Crayons, Large, 8 Colors – 2 Packs64 Crayons Per Box, Classic Colors, Built In Sharpener, Crayons For Kids, School Crayons, Assorted Colors – 64 Crayons Per Box – 1 Box
I want to clarify that I don’t mind paying a reasonable amount for quality curriculum. However, this year we’re using many courses from Easy Peasy (an all-in-one homeschooling resource). Over the last few years, I’ve been cherry-picking what I wanted to use from her site, and it’s all available for free. This year, we’re using it more extensively, and the children are really enjoying it.
Saving Money Resources:
I am so determined to save money on homeschooling curriculum that I keep resource pages for programs offered and recommended by other homeschoolers here on the blog such as:
- Free and Frugal Homeschool Resources
- Homeschooling Resources You Need to Know About!
- My Favorite “Go-To” Homeschooling Resources
- Simple Ways to Save Money on Homeschool Curriculum
My Personal Breakdown, Homeschool for $250 a year:
School supplies: $75.00
For my two children, I purchase everything they’ll need for the entire year. While I shop sales, my kids have the freedom to choose what they want for their supplies since they don’t get school clothes. We’re big on reusing most of our binders, supply boxes, pencil cases, staplers, and other items. Although this approach could be cheaper, I like to over-budget just in case. I wait until school supplies go on sale in our local store flyers, and most things are priced under a dollar, except for binders, which can cost up to $5 max.
My kids prefer not to use “scribblers” or journal notebooks, so we skip those. I also set a budget and stick to it. For example, I’ll give them the option to choose any binders priced at $5.00 or under. This way, they get to choose, and I can save money, making everyone happy!
Curriculum Textbooks and Workbooks: $160
Currently, my two main curriculum expenses are for the History (linked above) and English-Writing programs, which cost me around $75-$80 per subject. This includes a textbook and two workbooks for each subject. Additionally, I set aside $8 per program for the spelling curriculum.
Writing With Skill, Level 1: Instructor Text (The Complete Writer)Writing With Skill, Level 1: Student Workbook (The Complete Writer)Spelling Workout Level F
Of course, you may have different priorities and expenses, so you can allocate your budget accordingly.
Total costs: $75+$150+$16= $241.00
Note: this does not include extracurricular activities, such as art classes, or swimming lessons, etc. This is curriculum only.
How Others Can Help:
Occasionally, people ask me how they can help with homeschooling. As a homeschooling mom, the most helpful gift you can give is a gift card to the place where they purchase their books and curriculum.
Personally, I was delighted when I received an Amazon.ca gift card since I reside in Canada. It was a great help because I could purchase extras that I don’t normally budget for, such as books that are not available in my local library. It’s fascinating to read about how other homeschooling families plan their budget.
I love reading how others are able to plan their homeschool budget. Shelly has 10 children and is able to homeschool for $1000/year, she shares her tips on how to homeschool without breaking the bank. If we can do it, so can you!
Homeschool Without Breaking the Bank:
A lot of stress in homeschooling is trying to do it on a budget. Many feel you must break the bank to do so. You really don’t. Below this, I am including a short list of 5 Free Curriculum Resource Sites we use!
5 Free Homeschool Curriculum Resource Sites:
Khan Academy-Amazing Math Program, plus many other goodies. They have an app for the tablet as well.
Typing.com– free typing, this is my favorite one to use, the children like it as well. They have a record keeping system built in.
Kids Cook Monday-This is an awesome resource for teaching children kitchen skills!!
Free Online Geology: This is a very hard program, my children completed last year. They love rocks! Someday my house is going to sink. Just sayin’
Hands on Banking: Super cute banking course that is informative!
What’s your favorite homeschool resource (free or not!)? Let me know in the comments below!
Sharing a bonus freebie: This site has tons of free notebooking pages. I will be talking about how I use this in the future, until then if you want to check it out, just click on the banner below 🙂
Free Homeschooling Resource Hub
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Hi, I’m Jen. I help working moms juggle their career and homeschool their kids by providing support, systems and tools. You are warmly invited to Join the Online Community Here!
