Homeschooling Can Be Cheap

Today, we are so excited to welcome a guest post from Christa, who blogs at www.littlelogcottageschool.com !

One of the comments that scared me when I was considering homeschooling was, “It’s not always cheap…” That’s not really something that a stay at home mom who just had her third child wants to hear. 

After registering with an umbrella school, buying curriculum, supplies, and everything else that you think that you need to homeschool, I can see why people shy away from it.  Since I was a public school teacher for 8 years I set out to prove that I could homeschool my soon to be Kindergartener for next to nothing and have a great time doing it.  Using creative solutions can get you on the path to saving big bucks when it comes to homeschooling.   Here are some tips for those wanting to homeschool on the cheap:

1.     Register directly with your school board.  

It doesn’t cost a cent to register and you may have more freedom with your curriculum.  

2.     Get to know a teacher or someone who does.  

Teachers throw out books, curriculum, and resources every spring and most are more than happy to pass it on rather than throw it out.  I have a whole guest bedroom full of curriculum, resources, manipulatives, games, and even dramatic play toys that teachers have passed along to me.

3.     Pinterest and other great sites 

These can be a homeschooler’s best friends.  There are countless FREE material and resources that can provide anything that you need.

4.     Follow a teacher blog or website.  

If you haven’t purchased a curriculum you may be worried that your child isn’t getting all of the skills that they need.  I look for a few top-notch teachers who are keeping their parents and audience informed about the skills that they are teaching.  I have found many of these teachers through my hometown’s magnet school website.  Their newsletters keep me informed of what is being expected of children and has been a tremendous aid in my curriculum planning.

5.     Use your local library.  

I usually have a different theme that I study each week.  Just type the subject into your library’s card catalog and you will have a wealth of books to go along with your lessons.  I couldn’t live without the library!

6.     Plan, plan, and plan!  

Like any money saving strategy it does take some planning on your part.  I set up about 30 min. a day to plan.  I try to do one subject a day to get ready for the next week.  This way I am not spending all my time on the weekend planning.  You also may want to set up a school supply budget for each month because sometimes it is easy to go overboard!

If homeschooling is calling to you and your family, don’t allow the cost to scare you away.  Homeschooling may even add to your family coffer.  I started homeschooling last year and am actually making money this year by opening a cottage school.  I have created a place where local families bring their children 1-2 days a week for lessons.  So that means that I am actually getting paid to homeschool this year!  How cool is that?

Christa Brown is a homeschooling mom and founder of the Little Log Cottage School.  Her blog at www.littlelogcottageschool.com  is where she provides information about her lessons, techniques, and tips for homeschooling families and teachers.