What if You Can’t Afford Homeschool Curriculum?
Thinking that you can’t afford homeschool curriculum? A quality homeschool year depends on a quality curriculum. But most homeschoolers cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars per kid on curriculum each year.
The good news is that there are homeschool resources that are very affordable and some even free. This means that you can still give your child a quality education without having to spend a ton of money while doing so.
If your budget is particularly tight this year and you can’t afford homeschool curriculum, use these tips to homeschool well on a budget (or even for free!).
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What if You Can’t Afford Homeschool Curriculum?
It can be daunting to try and figure out how much to spend on homeschooling and to understand what your budget is. This is especially true if it’s your first year homeschooling and you’re a bit nervous about investing a huge amount of money into a curriculum that you’re not quite certain of.
The good news is that if you’re willing to just do a bit of research, you may be able to find all the resources that you need at a fraction of the cost. This means that you can afford a program that you’re going to love and not have to worry about how it’s going to hit your pocket book. That takes a huge amount of stress off you from the gate.
Below are just a few tips on how you can afford homeschool curriculum.
Visit Used Curriculum Sales
Most homeschool co-ops offer yearly sales on curriculum from members who no longer need it. This can be an excellent way to pick up curriculum for less. Even some of the larger homeschool conventions have a few booths selling used curriculum. You can usually pick up curriculum from these sales for 50 percent off or more of the original cover price. For particularly good deals, look for sellers who are selling curriculum with a few of the pages already filled in.
You can also find similar used curriculum deals online. I like to look at eBay, Amazon, Used Homeschool Books, and Home Educator’s Resource when I’m searching for used curriculum online.
I tend to look a few times a year and like to think of this as prepping ahead. THe kids also like to look with me because when we have a program that we love, everyone gets excited about it. They’re deal hunters just like I am!
Search Your Local Library
Your library probably has everything you need to homeschool (except possibly for math). With a little bit of searching, you can create a detailed homeschool plan using just library books. If you follow this path, make sure to download a free homeschool planner so that you can keep track of your homeschool year to prevent learning gaps.
I’m always amazed at the amount of homeschooling resources that are available at the local library. You can check out books, make copies, or even use your library as a place to meet up and hang out together as a homeschooling coop.
The library also has so many fun hands-on events thoughout the year that are free and great for learning. Check and see if they have a calender of events coming up and this can be a great way to plan outings and field trips and hands-on learning which usually don’t have any type of costs associated with it.
Ask Homeschool Friends for Help
Every homeschool family has things they don’t need. Homeschooling is so eclectic that what absolutely does not work for one family will be the perfect thing for another. Most of your homeschooling friends would be happy to share resources with you or sell to you at a discounted price.
The great thing about sharing with others is that you can then try out a bunch of different methods and find one that works best for you. Who says that you have to make a choose for just one way to homeschool? If you like the way that one area does a certain learning method, why not try that way and try other options for other core subjects? The great part about homeschooling is that you can easily mix and match.
Don’t forget to also check your own curriculum stash if you have homeschooled before. You probably have unused curricula you’ve forgotten about.
Some people will trade with you or even come together and sell at an affordable price.
Use Free Online Homeschool Resources
Thanks to the Internet, finding free homeschooling resources is easier than ever. Sites like Easy Peasy Homeschool offer complete curriculum totally free. I also like to check Pinterest for lesson plans and unit study ideas. You can easily find free homeschool resources for every grade up to high school online.
The Living Life and Learning shop has tons of free printables that will supplement any homeschool curriculum. As long as you have the ability to get online or print, you can create quite an amazing homeschooling resource that the kids will love.
Printables are the perfect way to introduce something new and fun to your children and change it up at the same time. The more that you can find printables about subjects that you’re learing and teaching, the more that you’ll be able to provide the kids with affordable learning activities as well.
See where to buy used homeschool curriculum in this post.
More Homeschooling Resources
Keep in mind that homeschooling is such an exciting time! You don’t have to be stressed out or think that it’s going to be super expensive. In fact, you can easily homeschool at a very affordable rate. The more that you do your research, the more deals that you’re going to find. You’ll also see that many people are more than willing to help out and give you advice as well.
Thanks for posting these ideas. There is so many free resources online I am sure it would be possible to homeschool for free if you really needed to. I have been trying to keep track of the awesome resources I come across that I might use one day but there are just so many of them!
Yes, it can be done for free if you can keep things organized. I like to use Evernote to organize things that I find online by subject and grade.