Homeschooling can be an expensive endeavor, with curricula to purchase, endless requirements for supplies, and field trips to pay for. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Here’s how to make homeschooling affordable…
How to Make Homeschooling Affordable
The cost of educating a child at home can be surprisingly high. Up-to-date textbooks, course materials, a library full of books, computer equipment, and extra furniture (book cases, desks, etc.) all cost money.
Add to this any additional tuition cost for tutors or co-op classes and the total cost can be mind boggling.
But it is possible to homeschool successfully for a more affordable cost!
Let’s start with the homeschool curriculum. Many boxed curriculum can be expensive, and need to be bought every year! However, if you look online, you can buy the same materials from homeschoolers re-selling their books second-hand.
Often, you can find learning materials and other resources without having to buy them. You can borrow books, videos, and music from the library. You can also download many educational materials online and print them out yourself.
Having a membership to your local theatre, concert hall, ballet or other cultural events can also help in cutting costs. It’s often cheaper to purchase tickets in bulk or “homeschool day” tickets than to buy them for each individual event.
Sometimes, it is even possible to barter services. For instance, the mother of an 8-year old gives dance classes, and her daughter receives art lessons for free.
Homeschool support groups and co-ops can help you to divide the cost of field trips, science projects and fairs. Online homeschooling forums can also point you in the direction of free and cheap learning materials. They are also a great source of tips for making homeschooling cheaper and easier.
Homeschooling communities are a great way to pool resources and share them among the members. Many field trip venues offer group discounts. Homeschool families can go together to utilize the group price.
You can also teach your child a great deal in your home. Teach him about animals and plants in your backyard or the local garden community. Learn science and maths through baking.
Family field trips are another great resource that is often under-utilized. You could teach history by visiting historical sites, many of which are free or offer cheaper tickets for homeschoolers.
Teach science at the zoo, aquarium, or local nature preserve. Look for homeschool day tickets.
Homeschooling can be an expensive choice for parents. There are many expenses that need to be considered and the financial burden can be heavy, particularly if only one parent is working.
However, the advantages of homeschooling far outweigh the costs. By following these tips, you will also be able to make homeschooling more affordable.
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.
