Avoid These Common
Used Home School Curriculum
Buying Blunders!

Looking to save on your home school expenses? Have home school budget constraints? Buying used home school curriculum is probably one of the best ways to save money on your home schooling expenses... Or is it?

But sometimes these sweet buys can turn sour…

Items arriving late, or not at all, buying damaged products with missing lessons, or purchasing the wrong materials.

It all adds up to wasted time and money!

If you are not careful, purchasing used home school curriculum could actually cost more than buying brand new materials.

Over the years, I admit that I have made my share of purchasing blunders while trying to stretch our home school budget on home school material.

I have bought the wrong items for our homeschool unit studies, wrong grades, wrong textbooks, and wrong editions for our traditional or accredited homeschooling curriculum.

I have purchased items and not received them from the seller. I have received items that didn’t match their description, stunk like cigarette smoke, were missing entire lessons and filled with writing.

Everyone's standards are different. A little writing to one person, may be a lot to someone else.

If you have financial constraints and a budget to keep, there are many ways to save on your home schooling costs. Purchasing used curriculum could save you a boatload of money, but may not always be the best solution.

If you decide to purchase used home school curriculum, here are some helpful tips to guide you when purchasing used educational materials, so you can avoid my book buying bloopers.

Buy the set instead of individual items.

Spend the extra money and purchase the answer books together as a set.

Make sure your editions match.

Publishing companies update and reprint textbooks and educational materials frequently to keep up with our changing world. Governments change, countries change, maps change and new discoveries are being made all the time.

When you purchase different editions, most often the questions and answers don’t match and you will waste more time trying to figure out the answers to the questions.

Avoid the headache - make sure your editions match!

Know exactly what you are purchasing before buying online.

During my eBay excursions, I have seen used curriculum sell for more than the retail price! With a little research, you will know what a product really costs. You will make wiser decisions, save money easier and become a savvy shopper.

Don’t get sucked into the auction feeding frenzy.

Buy from sellers who have a good reputation or ratings.

Unfortunately, not everyone is honest.

Look for testimonials from happy customers. Happy customers tell others.

The extra time it takes to research, hunt down, negotiate, wait for an auction to end or items to be shipped, may not be worth the savings.

You may find less hassle, increased confidence and a better shopping experience when purchasing through a trusted home school curriculum provider.

Most companies offer a money back guarantee (some charge a restocking or return fee) but I would rather get most of my money back, then lose all of it.

Purchasing used home school curriculum can be fun, rewarding and money-saving. You meet other home schoolers and recycle some still usable educational materials, while helping other parents unload their bookshelves to make room for new materials.

But many small mistakes can add up so…

Used home school curriculum buyers - beware!

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Everyone makes mistakes. I know I have made my share! Let's help other home educators avoid common buying blunders.

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