How Feasible Are Those ‘Save Money’ Ideas? Part 4 – Homeschool

#6 Homeschooling

This is another example, like eating plant-based, of NOT doing something to save money…but being pleasantly surprised that saving money was exactly what we were doing.

I have done a couple of posts on homeschooling efficiently and inexpensively. Basically, I buy used, non-consumable if I can help it, use free curriculum on the internet, and use the library.

In short, for us this means:

Kindergarten: Saxon, Handwriting Without Tears (HWT), Ordinary Parents’ Guide to Teaching Reading (OPGTR), MEP
–  I paid for Saxon and OPGTR (used) for child #1 (free for the rest). We buy a new ($10) HWT book for each child.

1st Grade: OPGTR, Saxon, First Language Lessons (FLL), Story of the World (SoW), Spelling, MEP
–  I paid for Saxon, FLL, and SoW for child #1 (free for the rest)

2nd Grade: OPGTR, Saxon, FLL, SoW, Spelling, MEP
–  I paid for Saxon & SoW for child #1 (buy new workbooks for the rest)

3rd Grade: Saxon, Rod & Staff, SoW, Spelling, MEP
–  I paid for Rod & Staff & SoW for child #1 (Saxon was given to us by someone getting rid of it)

We use the library for reading and science and use the Bible for our Bible time (go figure, huh?).
The oldest three are also taking music lessons (piano, harp, violin, and guitar) for free from a lady we met who graciously offered to teach them.

My yearly purchases are about $50 for all of the children (about $100 for child #1 the first year of homeschooling). I currently school the oldest 4 children. I can promise you I would be spending more than $50/year for all of the children if I sent them to public school, on school supplies and field trips alone, not to mention all of the other costs (gas, lunch, clothes, etc, etc, etc.).

You can see, by buying used, NON-consumable homeschooling materials, it is easy to homeschool efficiently and cheaply! I truly cannot count all the reasons I am thankful we homeschool but saving money surely is one of them 🙂

**Every family is different. This works for our family. Most of my ideas came from The Well-Trained Mind. Check it out at your local library! It is WONDERFUL & beats any curriculum fair I’ve ever been to.**

Next post…gardening! Sure, it’s the new(ish) fad but does it really save money? Haven’t you heard of the $64 Tomato? I’ll show you how we really do save money gardening 🙂

Advertisement