How much does homeschooling cost? The financial costs of homeschooling depend on a wide variety of factors.
Many people are under the impression that homeschooling is cheap since you don’t need to find school fees or the various costs for public school equipment and events. But that is not entirely true.
Just what are the financial costs of homeschooling?
The truth is, homeschooling expenses can be greater than if you send your child to a regular public school. However, this varies according to how you choose to homeschool, for instance, whether you use a bought curriculum or not.
The largest expense for homeschooling parents is resources. You will need to buy or plan a curriculum, to acquire textbooks, course materials, study aids and equipment such as a microscope and math manipulatives.
Secondly, you will need appropriate furniture such as tables, chairs, lighting, computer equipment etc.
Of course, these can be items you already have and repurpose for homeschooling, or you may be able to get some from yard sales or secondhand sales.
You will also need stationery, including an endless supply of paper, writing accessories such as pens, pencils, erasers, and art supplies.
The final cost may be online courses, tutors, and extra-curricular classes and activities such as dancing or music lessons. There is often a cost for these when children attend public school, but it is heavily discounted. Homeschoolers may not be able to take advantage of this but check with officials in your area.
Affordable Homeschooling
However, you can design your homeschool curriculum yourself and make it cost almost nothing. Use all the materials and resources readily available to you, for example scraps from a Creative Reuse centre or the expertise of a family friend.
By using what you already have creatively and tapping into all resources available to you, you can homeschool your child for minimal cost.
Use your local libraries and museums extensively, shop creatively at the Dollar Store for supplies, and tap into local homeschool and Freecycle networks to get as much as you can for a few dollars or even free.
There is also a wealth of material available online for free. Research the best resource libraries, lessons and courses online to see what would suit your child’s needs. Make sure you bookmark plenty for future studies too.
Follow homeschool blogs that resonate with your homeschool style and sign up for their mailing lists for recommendations and even some freebies. Many also have free resource libraries for their followers.
You can also find many fiction and non-fiction texts online or to download to your Kindle for free, but if you prefer buying books there are still plenty of ways to save. Look for local second-hand bookstores, or search online. Ask around in local homeschool co-ops and groups for people who may be selling books cheap and check out garage sales and thrift stores for suitable books too.
Your library really is your best friend, so roll up with your list of required books and ask the librarian what they can do to help. If you plan your curriculum a few months ahead of time you can be sure to collect the books and resources you need together in advance.
Finally, talk to your family and friends about what you are studying with your child. Many people will have books and other resources they will be happy to lend and may even add their own expertise for a free ‘class’ for your child.
Homeschooling can cost a lot of money, but with some advanced planning and creativity, you can bring the cost down considerably. To save money on your homeschooling costs, don’t be afraid to ask, talk to everyone you can, and look around at every opportunity for resources. That way you can educate your child without busting your budget in the process.
Encouragement for Homeschool Moms
Below, I’ve featured just a handful of books meant to encourage homeschool moms that will help your readers celebrate their favorite characters. You should be able to find them at your local library or bookstore. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.Creating Homeschool Balance – “Creating Homeschool Balance” will help you understand what balance looks like, feels like, and how to create it. Your Goals This Year – No matter which kind of homeschool parent you are, this book will help you understand the stages of homeschooling high school, put you on the path to success, and keep you from feeling overwhelmed. You can homeschool through high school, and here are the tools to help you. Scheduling: The Secret to Homeschool Sanity – When you homeschool, it’s important to take time to plan and rest, and not just work, work, work! Using schedules in your homeschool can help you avoid burnout.
