What if 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.

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!).

>> See more ideas on How to Homeschool Successfully

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.

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.

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.

Don’t forget to also check your own curriculum stash if you have homeschooled before. You probably have unused curricula you’ve forgotten about.

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.

See where to buy used homeschool curriculum in this post.

Brenda @Schooling a Monkey

Writer

Brenda is a homeschooling mom to two girls and a professional writer and editor. Her favorite things are STEM activities, reading, and coffee- not always in the same order.