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Simple Solutions to Slash
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Most home educators give up careers outside the home, to provide the best education possible for their family.
So, how does a family live on one income and home school successfully?
To be honest with you, home schooling doesn’t really cost that much.
Public Education vs Home Schooling = No Comparison!
When comparing homeschooling vs public schooling, there really isn't any comparison when it comes to cost.Public schools get thousands of dollars per student to educate children, but don’t let that scare you. Most of the money pays for salaries, school supplies and upkeep of buildings. Some is also wasted.
Home schooling on the other allows you to have complete control over your child’s education. You decide where you spend your money, what you spend your money on… and how much!
So far this year, my home schooling costs are minimal. Since we have been home schooling for a while, I am reusing some of the resources I used with previous children.
I purchased some new curriculum for my homeschool high-school student totaling less than $200, and some new school supplies, but other than that...
Use and Re-Use!
The curriculum I really enjoy using and my kids like, we keep. The rest we pass along or sell when we are done. Selling your used curriculum is a great way to get some money to reinvest into the next school year.There are many places where you can sell or buy used home school curriculum which I will discuss later, but for now... back to home schooling costs. :)
Depending on what type of curriculum you purchase, home schooling costs will vary from family to family.
Some families choose to buy resources from many different sources, others enroll in umbrella schools and others choose to buy complete accredited homeschooling curriculum packages.
Buying a complete curriculum package may cost you more money, but you also will have everything you need to home school your child, saving you valuable time and eliminating the guess work.
Always Check the Fine Print!
Most often when you purchase a complete curriculum package for a specific grade, you will receive all the workbooks, teacher’s manuals, tests and answer keys for each subject. But with any purchase you make, you will want to double check.Sometimes you will need to purchase additional home school material or supplies for science experiments, or will need math manipulatives to use with your home school math curriculum or program.
Knowing everything you need before buying, will help keep your home schooling costs controlled, eliminating any surprises. When it comes to spending money, who likes surprises, right?
There have been times I purchased something only to find out that I needed to buy additional books or supplies to use the curriculum correctly.
Read the catalog descriptions carefully. Calling a company’s customer service department to ask questions is a great way to find out more information or what additional items you will need when using their home school curriculum.
So how much does home schooling really cost?
There are studies that show the average home schooling family spends $500 per year on home schooling. Some spend more, some families spend much less. It really depends on what curriculum you choose, how many children you have and how many activities you want your children to participate in.I have found that many new home schooling families spend too much when beginning to home school. A little research and help from others will make the decision process easier and prevent you from overspending.
For many years, we cut our home schooling costs by doing unit studies. Unit studies provide a cost-cutting solution because most are designed so you can effectively teach to a group of multi-aged children at the same time, saving you time and money.
Cost-Cutting Resources
There are many ways to reduce your home schooling expenses.Our local home school group frequently offers the opportunity for families to get together and share their home school curriculum and resources with others. We get to look at many different products, ask questions and find out whether it would work for our family.
A home school curriculum fair is also another source for great information before taking the purchasing plunge!
Other inexpensive homeschooling solutions can be found at your local library, through your local home school co-op or support group, or on the internet.
One cost you do have to consider is time. Yes, home schooling costs you your time – a significant investment of time. However, the time you invest in educating or raising your child, is always time well spent!
As you embark on the wonderful world of home schooling, you will discover that home schooling your child doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
With a little thought, a few tips and some creativity, you can keep your home schooling costs to a minimum!
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Return from Home Schooling Costs to Benefits to Homeschooling
