I cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. In a week my two older boys will begin their homeschool Challenge classes in Classical Conversations while my other children start after the holiday. I have been preparing all summer so that I did not stress myself out. This school year is a little different than the last few years. We switched things up a bit which has been quite costly for our family. The homeschool classes and curriculum is more money than what we typically spend but we are excited about the opportunity and what God has in store!
Typically I am frugal with our homeschooling but this year I have found ways to save. It could have been a lot more expensive for our family if I did not utilize all I could in our homeschool curriculum. Check out these practical ways you can save money on purchasing your homeschool curriculum:
Borrow curriculum from friends or other homeschoolers. Thankfully I have friends who have used curriculum in the past that have offered for my family to use this year so I would not have to purchase it. A total blessing because it costs me nothing!
The internet is loaded with free homeschool resources and curriculum for kindergarten through high school. Sites such as Easy Peasy Homeschooling is a one stop curriculum resource for all subjects. My favorite on-line resource is Pinterest because it is loaded with tons of free homeschooling resources.
Free Apps. There are tons of free educational apps out there. Many of them offer 30 days free and if you like it you can purchase them. I find educational apps great for on the go for my younger children, it keeps them occupied while learning.
Utilize the library. I admit I am awful at this. This year we will be using several books from the library for our history. Most libraries also over free streaming and downloads (Hoopla, Cloud Library, Over Drive, etc.) you can use with all sorts of books, movies and eBooks. My problem is that I am always late returning these books so I have to stay on top of it so I do not have fines!
Sign up for e-mail newsletters from your favorite curriculum sites. Many offer great deals over the summer as well as free shipping. You do not want to miss those great sales!
Purchase used curriculum. I could not believe how much money I saved this year on curriculum purchasing used. I scoured used curriculum on Facebook groups, e-bay, Thriftbooks and other used curriculum sites to find some amazing deals. For instance curriculum that would have cost me almost $200 came out to $100.00! The bonus was what I purchased was a bulk of my son’s curriculum! I will admit one of the books had quite a bit of writing in it so I spent lots of time erasing in the pages. If you purchase make sure you ask if there is writing in the books prior to purchase. NOTE: Be careful because I have heard that their can be scammers on-line who will take your money and not ship the curriculum and then they delete their accounts. Another place to purchase curriculum is at used curriculum sales where homeschoolers come together to sell their used curriculum. In my community there are a few of these over the summer which has saved me quite a bit of money!
Hold onto curriculum you used for your older children and use it for your younger children. I have a filing cabinet full of past curriculum that I used with my older children that I am saving to use with my younger children. At times I have to purge them out due to lack of room but for the most part I have pulled the curriculum out and have used it for my younger kids.
Purchase curriculum you can use for your whole family. Last year 4 of my children used the same history and science curriculum. I did have to modify it for my younger kids because some of it was a bit too much but I was able to save money only having to purchase 1 book for history, 1 book for science verses 4 books for each.
Do not stress out looking for curriculum. What might work for someone else’s child may not work for yours so try different options. Ask around what other parents are using curriculum and maybe see if you can take a look at it prior to purchasing to see if it works for your child. What ways have you saved on purchasing your curriculum? Share by commenting below!
I cannot believe it’s that time already! Summer just got here! It’s great that there are so many resources for homeschoolers!
These are really clever ways to save. The used curriculum options sound like they’d help a lot!
Oh yes, textbooks can be very expensive no matter where you’re going to school. The tip about the Library is a good one, I literally just discovered that our Library loans digital books out.
These are great suggestions. I know cost can deter some folks from homeschooling.
Great tips for homeschooling. My daughter is planning to home school so she needs to read this.
Great tips. I homeschooled 4 kids a few years ago and I couldn’t imagine doing all 6 of my school aged kids now, its very costly.
These are excellent tips to save money! I am all about saving money with anything our family needs.
Yes, this summer really flew!! This looks like a great list.
Great tips for saving money. Books and anything school related can really be expensive! Love saving where I can!
Saving money is my thing! I hate wasting it when I can save. Yea textbooks are ridiculously expensive.
These are such great resources! I would love to know which are the best free learning apps. I am always on the hunt for engaging apps for the kids.
There are many free apps out there. Right now we are using Reading Eggs for 30 days for free.
This summer is going by way to fast! I love the idea of saving money!
These are awesome tips that I am sure will help to save some money! Thank you for sharing!
These are great and easy ways to consider. Studying should not be expensive at all. I agree, everything is literally on the internet to find.
great tips. i have a few friends that homeschool. i’ll have to send over for them
There are so many amazing resources out there for homeschooling. I am always tempted to look and make a plan for my kids.
I am researching homeschooling. I wonder if it will help with our busy schedule and give us flexibility so we can travel!
Yes it will! We travel frequently! Kids learn so much on travels that they cannot get from textbooks!
Wow, this is a great resource for homeschooling parents! I would have never thought you can purchase used curriculums. I will be sharing this to my homeschooling friends.
This info is going to be so helpful to homeschooling parents. Its becoming more and more trending for parents to homeschool their kids so they need all the deals and savings they can get!
These are really greatways to save. The used curriculum options sound awesome! I can’t wait to share your tips with a friend!
We usually go with a pdf version, ofcourse I am talking about my college days, hardly I think we stick to books…