Homeschooling can be expensive, and if you’re on a budget, it’s easy to get frustrated. The cost of private schools has caused many people to choose the homeschool option. Although there are many books and programs out there, that doesn’t mean you should spend a lot of money or more than your budget allows. Here are some tips to help you study at home and still work on a limited budget:
1. Create your budget and stick to it. It’s easy enough to start buying a bunch of books and programs you think you need and then find out you’ve spent a lot of money and still don’t have everything you need. Look realistically at what you have to spend on homeschooling and make that amount work for you.
2. Do your homework. When you find something you want to buy for homeschooling, start looking in forums or just Google by typing the name of the book or syllabus and “review” afterward. Chances are someone else on the internet has used that book and has some advice to offer. Make sure you know your child’s learning style so you can buy items that fit that style for a better chance of being used. Check with other homeschoolers you know and trust and ask them what they know about the books or curriculum you’re considering buying. I always like to ask moms who have multiple children who are well behaved and well behaved.
3. Consider using used materials. With so many more people homeschooling now, used curriculum is widely available and affordable. Some support groups have used book sales at the end of the school year. I have found many valuable resources at garage sales and thrift stores. My favorite place to find used books and resumes is homeschoolclassifieds.com.
4. Use your local library and free resources whenever possible. With the advent of online library applications, using the library has become even easier. I can go online, request a book I’d like, and usually be notified of its arrival at my local library within a week. If I find that I really like the book and feel like I need to use it for a long time, I can always buy it. The Internet has a wealth of free resources that homeschoolers can use.
Homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive. You may need to trade a little time for money, but there’s no reason to spend more money than you have in your home school budget.